Kasich's New Plan For Education
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Schools
Forum Name: School Achievements
Forum Description: From Academic results to group and individual achievements
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3753
Printed Date: Nov 22 2024 at 3:22am
Topic: Kasich's New Plan For Education
Posted By: VietVet
Subject: Kasich's New Plan For Education
Date Posted: Mar 31 2011 at 7:22am
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From the Journal...
Area educators hear Kasich’s plans for reform CLEARCREEK TWP. — Results haven’t improved all that much, but Ohio schools are spending more to educate students. (Imagine that!) "Lowering class sizes, increasing graduation requirements and other efforts to improve the state’s K-12 academic achievements are falling short of the goal, said Bob Sommers, education consultant for Gov. John Kasich". “At the end of the day, all we’ve done is raised costs,” Sommers said Wednesday to a room full of area school board members, administrators, teachers and others at the Warren County Career Center." Hear that educators- "all we've done is raise cost" According to this, all the talk by the education people about lowering class size to provide more individual attention for better results has not panned out. "The new direction, he said, is focused on recognizing and supporting high-quality teachers and weeding out the ineffective ones; sharing resources to reduce costs; assessing and ranking schools more accurately and increasing competition; and empowering parents by providing more choices, including essentially taking over failing schools" The suggestion of weeding out the ineffective teachers is long overdue. Should have happened decades ago when school performance was starting to trend downward. The merit system- the poor performing teacher's worst nightmare. “We chose not to raise taxes,” Sommers said of the governor’s efforts to make up the state’s $8 billion shortfall. Anticipating the criticism that doing so only shifts the burden to local governments and school boards to raise taxes, Sommers added: “Locals need to be careful about raising taxes as well.” Repeat- "Locals need to be careful about raising taxes as well".... Midd. School Board. Throwing more money at the problem isn't the solution. Never has been but you couldn't be convinced. "I’m concerned about how all of it will go into effect,” she said. “I’m not against what they’re proposing, as long as it’s better for the kids.”- Esther Larson- Lebanon Board of Education President. Esther, if you and your fellow education people are concerned about "what is better for the kids". why did you keep doing ineffective things that provided poor results for so long? Seems like all of you were content to keep business as usual....until now. I like this one..... Voters in November wanted the new governor to create jobs and fix the economy; Kasich should be more focused on that mandate, said Leslie Nettling, president of the Carlisle Teachers Association, who has actively opposed Senate Bill 5, a proposed law that will curtail collective bargaining rights. (Not surprising) Leslie Nettling (and her teachers association) wants the governor to focus on job creation and the economy so that he won't focus on her little union kingdom and burst her little union bubble. Times a comin' Leslie....times a comin'. 
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Replies:
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 02 2011 at 1:42pm
| Vet - have you noticed how many school districts and teachers unions signed new deals before SB5 was passed. Now they have to hope it can either be defeated at the ballot box or in the next general election. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Apr 02 2011 at 3:25pm
So, many of the school districts may have given away more taxpayer money under the collective bargaining system again hey. How fortunate and convenient for the teachers to have their contracts done before the hammer comes down on them and their sweet little wage/benefit/retirement world of theirs. Next time, it may work out differently for them. They may have to accept the wages, bennies and retirement that are presented to them and that the rest of us have been accepting for decades. No bargaining, just take it, be happy with it and leave the room because that's all we can afford at this time and that's how much value you bring to the table for us. If so, welcome to the private sector, public folks! 
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Posted By: sportsnut
Date Posted: Apr 04 2011 at 8:11am
why did you keep doing ineffective things that provided poor results for so long? Not to discount your argument too much here, but you do realize that Lebanon City Schools are an "Excellent with Distinction" rated district right? |
VietVet wrote:Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Apr 04 2011 at 6:27pm
| sportsnut-you are correct! I was referring to the Middletown district with respect to my comments. I know that Lebanon is an excellent district and that most other districts are in better shape than Middletown's. I should not have generalized and should have made clear, I was directing my comments (and frustration) at Middletown. Thank you for the clarification. |
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 04 2011 at 6:46pm
| sportsnut and vet: I'm curious to understand what makes Lebanon's district excellent as opposed to Middletown's. I know that these ratings come from the testing done. Is that the only way schools are rated? If both places have teachers unions why is one place doing so well and the other not? I'd be interested in any theory or opinion on this. |
Posted By: sportsnut
Date Posted: Apr 05 2011 at 7:14am
The socio-economic status of the student body in each district. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Apr 05 2011 at 8:29am
| sportsnut is correct again. One city attracts people who value education and instills it in their children while providing the correct classroom environment to receive a quality education. The other city entices low income, promotes Section 8 and welcomes all the elements of the lower crust who typically don't value education as parents because they were not pushed in that direction by their parents. And, this same district has failed to provide an environment that fosters quality education. The Middletown city leaders don't give the schools much to work with, while the schools don't help themselves by placing solutions (control, discipline, accountability and action) in place to deal with the type of student the city seems to want to attract. Both are guilty parties for the current situation in our schools. JMO |
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 05 2011 at 9:47am
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sportsnut and vet - thank you for your posts. I appreciate these insights and opinions. I hope that others will offer their insights on this matter.
In that same vein, I'd also like to ask what do any of you see as the solution to these problems?
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Apr 05 2011 at 10:11am
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Solutions, TonyB????
Lebanon is obviously doing it right by their rating. Middletown, that's another story altogether. IMO, Middletown's school problems began when they took corporal punishment out of the schools, thereby, eliminating any deterrent for those students who choose not to live by the rules. Expulsions, time-outs, suspensions, in general, are laughed at by the students and are "no big deal" for the parents. It would appear no one cares about getting into trouble today apparently. This, in turn, disrupts the educational process and sometimes penalizes the kids who are there to learn. In an "upper class" school system, where the expectations are high for behavior, both from the schools point of view and the parents, there is less of a need for the deterrent. It also helps that the kid comes from a household where proper behavior is taught and enforced. In Middletown's case, with the attraction of lower income, and with the behavioral problems that stereotypically accompany that segment of the population, there is no greater need than to have behavioral deterrents in place that are severe enough to make an impact. Not really convinced Middletown schools are set up to provide the harsh deterrents needed for the type of student they draw. The more "hard-core" and "street bred" the students, the more reason for hard-core deterrents to be in place. Kinder/gentler doesn't cut it with Middletown's kids. Need some good old military interjection to beef up the program. Need military people to come into the Middletown schools and train the admin/teachers to handle different behavioral problems effectively. It is amazing how one drill instructor can "motivate" 40 recruits from all walks of life, without laying a hand on 'em. The need is great here in this school system. JMO |
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 05 2011 at 10:37am
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Vet -thanks for the post. If it hasn't become obvious in my 100+ previous posts, I'm just as interested in finding solutions as I am about pointing out problems. IMO, the more points of view obtained, the better the opportunity to find solutions.
I've asked a number of different people about this and have heard a variety of answers concerning what the problems are in our educational system and what can or should be done about it. The more opinions about this that I hear, the clearer the picture of the problem and possible solutions become. I certainly don't think I have all the answers and I'm not shy about taking what I see as a good idea and supporting it. If only our elected representatives would concentrate on solving problems instead of taking credit, we might actually get something accomplished!!!
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Posted By: sportsnut
Date Posted: Apr 05 2011 at 11:39am
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Education starts at home. How do you fix the issues of teaching students that are not given any incentive, discipline or desire at home to learn? Motivating students that have learned, through their life experience, that education is not important has to be trying on the teachers. All they want is for their students to achieve - and they get no backing from the parent(s).
Adult education is as important to the success of the MLS District as anything. A huge weakness in Middletown(society) is getting uneducated adults into some sort of educational process. The result of educating the adults would be their children will understand the value of education. How does this happen? Who pays for it? What ramifications are there for not participating? 
I'll leave the discipline to Vet! 
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