Ohio Governor Calls for Investments in Education, Child Well-Being
Nadia Ramlagan, Producer
Friday, February 3, 2023
Ohio's teachers are applauding the governor's recently announced plan to overhaul the state's reading curriculum for elementary schoolers and boost resources for districts.
In his State of the State address this week, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine also said he's directing resources to improve child well-being and mental health.
Ohio Education Association president Scott DiMauro said he supports a plan that helps kids succeed, but he also hopes the state Legislature will take a hard look at some of the education policies teachers believe are detrimental.
"And at the very top of that list," he said, "is repealing a provision currently in law that requires that students be retained if they don't pass a single test on a single day when it comes to the third-grade reading test."
The governor's plan provides funding to public, STEM and charter schools to pay for curriculum based on the Science of Reading, and for professional development for teachers who need it. Slightly more than one-third of all Ohio students are reading proficiently at their grade level, according to data from the Ohio Research Education Center.
DiMauro said schools are facing a crisis recruiting and retaining quality educators from diverse backgrounds. He said the Fair School Funding Plan - based on the actual cost of educating a child and developed in part by educators and school administrators - could help the state address the issue.
"Having a funding system that is based on the actual cost of providing a high-quality education to every student," he said, "and a formula that's updated to reflect the most recent information on what districts are spending in those areas."
Ninety percent of Ohio students attend public schools. The state spent more than $10 billion on primary and secondary education in 2021, and slightly more in 2022, according to state Department of Education data.
This story was produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.
Ohio Education Research Center The Ohio State University 2022
Overview of school funding Ohio Department of Education 2022
Fair School Funding Plan Ohio House of Representatives 2/4/2021
Data (in photo caption) Ohio Department of Education 2023
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