School Funding Matters

I don't teach public school anymore, but I almost wish I did after hearing the Governor's proposals. It seems like many of the frustrations that prompted me to leave the classroom may be alleviated by elements of his proposal. My favorite things are the teacher residency program and all-day kindergarten.  I know many people are still concerned about how we're going to pay for all of this, and I'm anxious to hear about the details of the budget proposal as well. But for now, I'm content just to celebrate the fact that we finally have a leader in Ohio that is serious about real, systemic reform. 

I liked a lot of what Strickland was saying, especially his ideas for using more than standardized tests to assess students' achievement. In theory, swapping out the ACT for OGTs makes sense, but don't we then lose the baseline we've been building? If we change measures every few years, how will we ever know whether real progress is taking place?

While I understand the concern about a baseline and measuring real progress, I think switching to the ACT makes an important shift in focus towards higher education. It helps students make the connection between high school work and college all that more real. More kids in Ohio will think of scoring well, not just to graduate (and end), but to head onto college and attain a college degree (looking forward to the next step in their lives). It is a notable shift in thinking that is more goal-oriented, with real-world application.