Blackwell vs. Strickland. Round One

Taxin’ Ted or Conservative Ken. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe. This year is gonna be toughie. I am basing the following opinions solely on educational issues that I listened to all the livelong day on Thursday. Just because I agree with certain issues does not necessarily mean I am voting one way or another. The comment that concerns me the most is one made by Strickland. When asked by reporters to elaborate on his plan to satisfy the DeRolph ruling Strickland’s response was "I will do that if I win this election." Hello- I don’t want to know after the election. What am I supposed to do? Cross my fingers and hope he actually has a plan? I mean there has only been about a thousand people with an actual plan that haven’t been able to solve this problem but he want’s us to vote for him with a plan only to be revealed if he wins this election. I’ll have to think about that one. But let’s move on to some of his other ideas. TURNAROUND OHIO. First it will create the Ohio Knowledge Bank. It will deposit money into every Ohio child’s college savings account (529 accounts). Establish tuition guarantees, Offer grants to teachers, rural areas, and lofty school programs. Revamp our testing and educational delivery system once again. What he couldn’t answer was where the money to pay for all this will come from. That’s because it’s a tough answer to give. Tax payers.
Plus Strickland read from cards and notes as opposed to Blackwell who spoke very well and was educated on the issues without notes. Don’t get me wrong, I live by my notes and charts, but I’m not running for Governor of Ohio.

The Beacon Journal kind of twisted something Blackwell said. You see the questions that were asked of the candidates we submitted from the audience on orange note cards to an official from the Ohio School boards Association or an official from the Business Association of School Administrators. Two very unbiased groups (she said snickering). The two women then selected which questions to ask of those submitted. The woman from the school board association asked Blackwell the same question 3 different ways and he answered it three times. But all the Beacon reported was his final comment after being asked to explain his way of funding once again his response was " I can’t tell you again."

I will tell you what he said he would do for education. First of all his wife is the superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools so it’s not as if he isn’t aware of the need for a funding fix. Or the impact of charter schools. Blackwell said he supports "educational choice", or what we commonly call charter schools. But he clarified it by saying he thought they should be held to the same standards as public schools. This same comment drew applause for Strickland but when I raised my hands to applaud Blackwell for it, I quickly put them back in my lap. It became apparent to me at that moment I was in a room full of Ken lovers. But back to property tax relief. The first major part that the media failed to report on was the blueprint for Medicaid reform. According to Blackwell, when he gets this out and ‘dusts it off" and implements it, it will free up 3 billion dollars through waivers from the federal government, that he will use for education. I know I heard him right. Whether he can actually do it is a question for another day. The other half of his plan to replace property tax money with money already in the till is the "65 Cent Solution" This is a plan used in districts across the country that forces schools to use 65 cents of every dollar directly in the classroom. This is an idea that has intrigued me for more than a year. The reason administrator’s hate it is because it effectively forces districts' to cut administrative positions and streamlines central office operations.

Blackwell laid out his plan. Strickland tap-danced around his. Blackwell had facts, Strickland had catch phrases. The following are comments I jotted down during the morning session with Blackwell (7 pages of notes) and Strickland in the afternoon (2 pages of notes). My opinions and observations are in parenthesis.

Blackwell says:
9% of public education monies are from lottery sales.
47% of public education monies are from the States general l revenue fund.
Ohio is losing 25-49 year olds faster than any other state
Declining student population is being funded more and more by older fixed income residents.
He feels that progress made in public schools is a result of competition from charter schools.
Ohio is 50th in new job start-ups.
Wants to change to flat income tax system of 3.5%.
Wants to reform collective bargaining. (Something school officials should have liked but no one blinked an eye. He might win my vote based on this argument alone.)
Said that TEL would have eliminated un-funded mandates. (Something school officials should have liked but no one blinked an eye.) He also said on this subject- Tel would have put more money in the classroom but too bad you people shut that down. (Didn’t like his ‘tude when he said it that way. "You people"? To whom is he referring? I was sitting there and I don’t consider myself one of those people.)
Said that state can fund up to 64 % more with out losing local control.

Strickland says:
Will create an administration that is inclusive.
Public dollars should not be used without public oversight.
Charters should be held to same standards as public schools. (Hearty round of applause. Hmmm.)
Invest in early childhood development.
Will bring many Ohio organizations together to come up with a law abiding system.
Our cost for public university’s and private universities are 45 and 52 percent higher respectively. We need to put more money into higher education and early preparation. Education is the only hope for Ohio.
He will not make false promises. (It doesn’t appear to me he’s made any promises except to spend money with no explanation of where the money will come from.)
Return Ohio to "The Heart of It All" (Puke)
Wants the Peace Corps mentality in his administration. He will ask them "What can you do today to make Ohio better?"
Ohio is facing a moral crisis. (He didn’t say what the moral crisis was though?)

When asked for his thoughts on the 65-cent solution, Strickland’s only reply was that it is a "goofy idea". Not one aspect of it deserved contemplation? Some of us who haven’t made up our minds yet might find some aspects of the 65-cent solution intriguing.

If you want a change in the way schools are funded without a tax increase, it looks like Blackwell has the lead on this one. Now like I said these are my opinions on each candidate’s educational platforms. There obviously are many different issues people base their votes on. I just hope people take the time to read what these people stand for and believe in and vote for what’s closest to your own convictions. I’ve never been able to pick a party because I’ve never been able to conform to the "our party knows best" mentality. Knowing that the best person for governor is probably a write in candidate that doesn’t have a chance, I toss my vote to the person I hope will make some decisions favorable to me.

Now to touch on an issue that recently came to light. I can’t really comment on the reasons because I was made aware the same way as the general public. I read it on the blog, then in the Falls News. I wish our CFO the best if she gets the job in Hudson.

Hi Ho - Hi Ho - Off to Columbus I Go.

I guess it’s time I got back to business. This weeks agenda is a lot of contracts for services and personnel. I see tons of special education services. Unfortunately the only gifted services we are approving are for a private school. But the one that disturbs me the most is the new position added last year. Parent Mentor is the position. My biggest problem with it is the fund used to pay for this position ran a deficit last year. My next problem with it is the fact that is described as a facilitator between parents of special education children and district personnel. This is one of the new positions I commented on last fiscal year that everyone denied being a new position. Why do we need to pay another body to help parents of special needs children fill out paperwork? We are supposed to be saving money not looking for new and improved ways of spending it. Special education eats up our budget while our gifted programs are the first ones threatened when cuts loom.

Also on the agenda is a field trip for Roberts’ 8th graders and board business that comprises appointing a delegate to the Ohio School Board Association annual business meeting with the power to vote and discussion of board expenses. It seems we had a budget of ten thousand dollars for the calendar year 2006 and have already spent it. It seems unbeknownst to the board many dues are paid from this account as well as the recorder used for the meetings. I’m shocked to see that I am in the lead for class attendance. I have attended five seminars and have two more scheduled. Everyone else has none, one or two. Our CEO assures me that he will do his best to find funds for the group to attend the Capital Conference in Columbus mid-November. I guess I should ask for a notation on the agenda when dues for particular organizations and equipment are coming out of the board fund. The latest dues paid out of the board fund was for an organization Taxpayer mentioned. The Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy in the amount of $2487.50. Our CEO was hot on this group and when I questioned him the reasoning seemed sound. But the board was not informed these "dues" were coming from board funds. Live and learn.

The most exciting part of Wednesdays’ meeting will be the board discussing our individual, long and short term goals. Starts at 6PM. This should be interesting with our group of people. Seems a little late but- whatever. At least we are finally doing it.

Lastly I want to mention that one of my above scheduled work shops is a meeting with the gubernatorial candidates Blackwell and Strickland. Any questions you’d like answered? Post them quick because I leave Thursday morning.

The Power of the People

This is gonna be short. The sound of my typing is hurting my head. Too much celebrating last night. I've been asked many times why I continue to beat my head against a brick wall. Why do I continue to torture myself at board meetings by asking questions, making points , just to be voted against by the board majority? Last night was why. Because I have faith that the people can make a difference.

Many people walked up and thanked me last night. Really I did not deserve this. Many people were responsible for the success last night. Molly Benedum and her relentless researching skills, mikeb with his ominous threats of ethics violations, Chip with his knowledge from working in the field, Mary Nicols-Rhodes who used her own time and money to distribute fliers and inform people, Lou Schott for constantly making us think about working together in an orderly fashion, but most importantly to all the regular citizens who showed up to voice their opposition to this endeavor. I also owe a thank you to my mom and dad for raising me to believe that the government belongs to us, the people. Oh and I almost forgot- a big thank you to our CEO for doing the right thing.

I owe all of you a thank you for doing what I knew you would all along. People here care about our city, our neighborhoods, our kids. Congratulations to the Newberry/Bolich neighborhood for a "well" deserved victory. Please pardon the pun.