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Local News

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Ohio school choice program expands
By DENISE GRANT

Staff Writer

Enrollment for Ohio's Educational Choice program, which pays tuition at private elementary and secondary schools, opens this week, but none of the money will be available in Hancock County.

It won't be going to students in Hardin, Henry, Putnam, Seneca or Wyandot counties either.

The scholarships are for students who come from "chronically under-performing school districts" which have been ranked as "academic emergency" or "academic watch" for two of the past three years on the Ohio School District Report Card. Most are inner-city schools.

Richard Heintschel, interim superintendent for Fostoria Community Schools, said students in such urban settings have "many different challenges."

"If there is any way" those students can attend a better school, one "that meets our expectation and qualifications, we should do it," Heintschel said. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that education is the key to success in adulthood."

Fostoria, rated as a "continuous improvement" school district, doesn't qualify for the program. It has struggled to keep off the "academic watch" list.

Heintschel is anxious for Gov. Ted Strickland to follow through on promises of moving Ohio away from high-stakes testing, which is a big part of the rankings.

Strickland's reforms would drop use of the Ohio Graduation Test in favor of the ACT college entrance exam, senior projects and semester exams.

"A lot of what the governor is proposing we are doing already. Fostoria has required senior projects for the past eight or nine years," said Heintschel.

Findlay Superintendent Dean Wittwer said the scholarship program has merit, even if the money isn't coming here. It does get students into better schools. Still, he is concerned with the amount of tax money being used to support the program.

"We in the hinterlands have been paying for what is happening in the big cities for a very long time," he said.

The EdChoice Scholarships offer up to $4,200 in tuition for students in elementary and middle school, and up to $5,000 for students at the high school level. The money is taken from the home school district's state aid.

The scholarships have been available since 2005, when scholarships were given to 3,000 Ohio students. This year, scholarships went to 11,500 students.

"This scholarship continues to be an incredibly popular option for parents," said Chad L. Aldis, executive director of School Choice Ohio. "In a time when the resources of many families are stretched thin, the scholarship can be a lifeline for parents trying to get their child into a school where they feel they can be successful."

School Choice Ohio is a statewide organization that promotes the EdChoice Scholarship program, along with Ohio's Autism Scholarship Program and the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program.

Aldis said it would be good if eventually, "Choice" money could reach students in Ohio's better-performing school districts.

A new state law, which requires the Ohio Department of Education to track the performance of students receiving the scholarship, will provide proof that the programs work, Aldis said.

The numbers should be out next year.

He called it a "fight" just to get state officials to compile the numbers, and said the Strickland administration is no friend of school choice.

"For the first time, we will be able to show how students are performing. Students on the (Washington) D.C. voucher program, who come from some of the worst public schools in the country, have shown an 18-month gain in reading over just three years," Aldis said. "That changes lives. That means good jobs. It is time that Ohio starts doing something with the data."

Eventually, Aldis said, choice advocates want the criteria to be based on student performance, not school district performance.

"What if you are in a high-performing school district that works for two of your three children, but the third child just doesn't fit in? It just isn't working. We'd like those parents to have an option, too," Aldis said.

Grant: 419-427-8412,

Send an e-mail to Denise Grant


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4 Comments

Latest comments listed first.
Tim from Bowling Green wrote:
AGREE WITH CAREY
“ I agree with poster "Carey" that money alone will NOT solve problems in public education and will NOT keep a district out of academic watch or academic emergency. Excellent point! ”
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 1:27:43 PM
Mike wrote:
No More Money!
“ Carey is exactly right! Throwing more dollars at these underperforming school districts won't solve the problem, don't take another red cent from me and all the other over-taxed Ohio citizens for this crap! ”
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 9:10:36 AM
Carey wrote:
It's not the money
“ Throwing more and more money at the problem won't fix the problem. For example, in Detroit, per-student spending is approximately $11,100 per year, yet only 25 percent of Detroit's students are graduating from high school.

The problem is not the money!! The problem is the students lack of respect and the administrations inability to provide a safe and secure learning environment.

The administration possess this inability because their hands are tied due to ridiculous laws forbidding corporal punishment, lack of parental control of their children, parental abuse of the legal system and the administration's fear of lawsuits resulting in the administration's inability to demand and obtain conformity to school rules and regulations and finally, society's incorrect PC belief that students have more rights & freedoms at school that supersede any rules or regulations established by the school for the safety and education of the student. So, what results is the classic, "The Inmates are Running the Asylum!"

So, unless this changes, you will not see any improvement in the under-achieving schools as increasing the dollars has already been proven NOT to work.

In addition, you fix the under performing schools by eliminating under-performing teachers and quit passing the under-performing students forward. Throwing more money at the problem DOES NOT help keep a district out academic watch or academic emergency.
”
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 12:10:05 AM
Tim from Bowling Green wrote:
I SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM
“ As a future school teacher who plans on working for an inner city district, I fully support this program. However, we need to utilize all resources at our disposal in order to keep districts out of academic watch and academic emergency. Just moving kids out of these districts to better performing school buildings is not enough. We need to fix the underperforming schools. ”
Tuesday, February 02, 2010 10:43:04 PM
   NEWS VIDEO

Benton Ridge Shooting

This video, released by the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, shows the shooting of a Lima man who led authorities on a three-county chase ending Aug.24 in Benton Ridge. Be cautioned, the video contains graphic content.
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j wrote in article "Many winners named as Hancock Fair opens":
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JM wrote in article "McComb couple is serious about fair competition":
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9/2/2010 9:08:20 AM
Penny Musgrave wrote in article "Shooting video released":
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Yfkm wrote in article "Parole denied in murder case":
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poor victim!!!!! wrote in article "Shooting video released":
Nate
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Research
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Tawa Tree Services - Ottawa
News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

Findlay trooper named sergeant
Trooper Jacob L. Fletcher, assigned to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, was promoted to sergeant Wednesday by Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken.

With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.