State of the State

February 7, 2008

Boosting Ohio's economy, expanding health care for families and children, and retooling the Buckeye State's manufacturing and technological base for the 21^st century have clear ties to education and Governor Ted Strickland deserves praise for vision in these areas. But in yesterday's State of the State address, he offered only glimpses of his vision for education proper-we assume he has one-and made no mention at all of school funding.

To his credit, the governor emphasized that Ohioans should disabuse themselves of the idea that a high school diploma is an end in itself. The need for continued education and training can't be repeated enough. The one hard education proposal in his speech, a "Seniors to Sophomores" plan to allow interested high school students to spend their senior year on a state university campus-at no cost-is truly innovative. Alas, there were precious few other details in the speech, save six vague core principles that the governor says will guide his upcoming plan to transform education. (Upcoming when, he didn't let on.)

It's often said in government circles-national and international, too-that if one doesn't have programs, policies, or money to offer, one is apt to reorganize the deck chairs. That's pretty much what Strickland did yesterday. He proposed, much as Deval Patrick has done in Massachusetts (and as Maryland's Martin O'Malley was bent on doing until he got cold feet a few days ago) to take a separate and largely independent education governance system

» Continued

State of the State