Kostyu re: Teddy & Kenny
He caused a noticeable murmur among local school board members, business officials and administrators when he said Thursday that public school administrations are top heavy, need to be cut and some services should be privatized. The savings, he said, could be redirected to classrooms.
There was another murmur when Blackwell said he supports and wants to expand school choice. He said despite the poor performance charter schools showed this week in the annual Department of Education report cards of schools, charter schools have made public schools better because of competition.
By contrast, the reception for Democratic candidate Ted Strickland was near jubilation. His hourlong speech was interrupted by applause 12 times and the audience laughed at his jokes at least four times. There was no laughter during Blackwell’s speech, though he tried to get it.
There may have been other predictors about the reception the two candidates for Ohio governor expected. Printed information the Blackwell campaign provided was on a 51⁄2 -by- 8-inch slick card. Strickland’s came in an 81⁄2-by-11-inch slick folder with an eight-page insert. Also, Blackwell’s introduction to the audience was considerably shorter than Strickland’s.
Both candidates recognized the importance of education in reviving a long-moribund Ohio economy. Both favored continuing a school building and remodeling program begun under current Gov. Bob Taft. And both recognized that education funding relies too heavily on property taxes.
Even though Blackwell is married to the superintendent of the Cincinnati public schools, a system from which he is a product, a lot of his presentation clearly didn’t sit well with the audience.
Strickland’s stories of the early teachers and coaches who had an effect on his life evoked responses from the audience.
“Do you believe deeply in your heart in the importance of public education?” Strickland began — to applause.
“Do you want a governor who will value your work?” he asked, again to applause. “I know how hard you’re working for our kids.”
Blackwell said the state had broken its covenant with taxpayers twice when lawmakers promised money from a state income tax, and later, the lottery, for education. Reiterating a campaign staple, Blackwell said Ohio’s tax system is scaring away businesses and people.
“The tax base is getting smaller, older and less affluent,” he said. “The business of taxing, spending and taxing no longer works.”
As governor, he said, he would “reallocate existing dollars” and institute “spending reform to keep the covenant with children” and raise in four years the amount of general revenue funds going to education to 56 percent from its current 46 percent.
He also promoted his plan to require the so-called “65 percent solution,” where 65 cents of every dollar go toward classroom instruction, while privatizing transportation, food, janitorial and other services.
“Your first obligation is to take care of classroom instruction,” he said.
Strickland said the 65 percent solution “is not a solution. It’s a bad idea. Local school boards and superintendents ought to have flexibility” to use funds as they see fit.
Strickland also said he wouldn’t “cross my fingers” when sworn in as governor to uphold the Ohio constitution.
“I’ll take the mandate of the (Ohio) Supreme Court seriously,” he said, referring to the court’s four decisions over a dozen years that the state’s system of funding schools is unconstitutional.
And he said he would not hand out public dollars to charter schools “without public oversight.”
Reach Copley Columbus Bureau Chief Paul E. Kostyu at (614) 222-8901 or e-mail paul.kostyu@cantonrep.com.
posted by Kathie Bracy at 1:39 PM
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