Overall I wasn't overall impressed with the speech, but some of his ideas were interesting, particularly on education.  I like the idea of shifting focus from OGT to ACT.  Should save the state a lot of money in testing.  I doubt they will get the school year extension passed.  I personally would like to see a full year schedule implemented. 

 

Establishing all-day kindergarten in all schools.

 

*Phasing in 20 extra schools days over a 10-year period, bringing the learning year to the international average of 200 days.

 

*Expanding the school day with activities such as community service and tutoring.

 

*Establishing a four-year residency program for teachers to complete to qualify for their professional teaching license.

 

*Eliminating so-called “phantom revenue” from the school funding formula. The formula now assumes local school districts collect more revenue as property values go up, but state law doesn’t allow tax collections to increase with property values.

 

*Replace the Ohio Graduation Test with the ACT college entrance exam, end of course exams, completion of a service learning project and submission of a senior project.

 

http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/ohiopolitics/entries/2009/01/28/strickland_unveils_sweeping_ch.html

 

 

I wasn't all that impressed either. It sounds he wants to hand the school system even more to the disastrous influence of ed school faculty. Other than that, it seems like he hasn't squared the circle of funding and reform yet.

Gov: Add extra month of school

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090128/NEWS0108/301280032/1055/NEWS

 

Gov. Ted Strickland said Wednesday he won’t raise taxes but warned of sacrifice as government programs are reduced and a variety of fees are increased to balance a new state budget amid an economic recession and declining tax revenues.

 

In his State of the State address, Strickland said he’ll balance the two-year budget, which faces a $7 billion deficit, by reducing state spending by $3.2 billion and using $3.4 billion in federal aid.

Teacher pay and salaries is another discussion, but I will say teachers get paid a fair wage.  No teacher is getting rich off the system.  The teacher residence is a terrible idea if you want to cut wages for the record.  Who is going to go through 4 years of lower wages to ultimately get a 55K a year job?

 

The one thing that worries me is the Full Day kindergarten he plans on implementing.  Most districts I know have half day classes (AM/PM classes).  This means adding facilities, supplies and of course more teachers.  I think the idea is a noble one, but I don't know he is going to pay for that when districts are already strapped for cash.  Also a lot of what he wants to implement is already done, i.e. schools are graded on their fiances (and open to the public), audits and over sight on academics. 

 

As for funding, I think to "fix" the system he simply wants to roll back HB 920 which limits schools collecting an increase in money with rising property taxes.  It has for years limited schools funding by creating "phantom revenue", but recently it has helped school by holding back the housing market collapse and drop in home value.  Kind of a double edge sword as of late.  Again, This doesn't fix the problem, it just lets districts collect more money without going to the voters.  Just kind of takes the power away from the people.  I hope there is more to his plan and this isn't his only solution. 

 

I was intrigued on his stance on charter schools.  Currently to open one you have to be an existing management company (something I believe he or Taft signed into law).  Now he is stating he wants them under ODE control and out of the management companies hands.  Interesting to see what he is going to do there. 

 

The plan will take the state’s share of education funding to 55 percent, an amount that will grow to 59 percent once the plan is completely implemented, he said.

 

I can speak for NE Ohio only, but the majority of districts only collect between 15-25 percent from the state.  The school I work at only receives about 19 percent.  :-( Sadly I would be shocked if the states picks up a 50 share in all of the 647 school districts in Ohio. 

 

It's outstanding money and benefits compared to many other jobs these days. Teaching is great. And yes, some ARE getting rich off the system- those who retire and then come back to work...the "double dippers."

 

I won't argue the benefits aren't good, but when did that become a crime? 

 

As for retirement, teachers do put a majority of their pay towards retirement.  I pay close to 20 percent of each pay towards my retirement, a system I probably will never collect on.  Most professionals in my field do the same.  I am sure there is always exceptions to the rule (and in every field), but for the most part most teachers are not getting rich teaching, they just make a LIVABLE WAGE. 

 

I don't think there is as many "double dippers" as you think.  As a general rule districts would rather hire new teachers, and as you have pointed out there is a number of teachers in Ohio without jobs.  New teachers are easier to work with and have a better understand of "today's" educational world.  Plus easier to fire.  Double dipping happens in every field.  How about the Senior working and collecting social security?  Should that be banned as well? 

 

   

Living wage is a luxury, not a right.

 

Eh, that's a whole other subject.  I do find it increasingly disheartening to hear/read/see comments like that become more and more common.  I thought that is why people came to America in the first place.  Fought in wars and stood up for the greater good, to have the RIGHT to be free and earn a livable wage.  You know, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness thing. 

 

Believe it or not, most teachers work hard enough to earn the right to make a livable wage.  If the value you place on schools is the bare minimum, that is the type of education you will receive.  Did we put a man on the moon through inadequately funded schools?  What type of future or people do you expect when you say that educators should work for less than a livable wage?

 

10% of all teachers will get laid off

 

I am pretty sure that is and has already happened.  Have you heard of any districts hiring in the last couple of years?  I work for a good district and I cannot tell you the last time we added a new teacher that wasn't replacing a retiring or leaving teacher.  Schools have gone through the budget cuts for the last 20 years.  When times were great in business and industry, did anyone step in and say lets give more to the schools? Nope, they cut the state funding to the levels they are now.  That's why we are in this mess.  Talk all you want about how schools need to cut more, sometimes there really isn't anything left to cut.   

For anyone interested in reading or listening to the transcripts, they can be found here:

 

http://www.wcpn.org/index.php/WCPN/news/16206/

Our own greed, dishonesty, and hedonism did us in.

 

Unfortunately I don't think I can argue that.  I hope for all our sake that statement is wrong.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LwyVFnEjvo&feature=related

 

Either way, living wages are increasingly a thing of the past.

 

So what's the answer than? What do you do?  What do you value in that type of society?  Because I would argue without a livable wage society would probably spiral towards an inevitable collapse. 

The reality is things like medical care, infrastructure, jobs, etc. have to come before education (where the hell are these kids supposed to work once they're done with school?)

 

I'd say education comes first.  Since Ohio is producing people for export, these people need to prepared to compete with people from other states, so a good education foundation is important.  Id say infrastructur second because there are safety issues involved with structurally unsound bridges.

I think teachers should start out at 40k a year or whatever is standard for most occupations with a degree. Don't they start at like 28k?? I really think money motivates people and determines where talent gets allocated. That's just the reality of capitalism. It's a feminine, less competitive occupation. It seems like teaching kids is considered something people do as an easy job with a lot of time off. It's not. It's a craft you can develop just like any other occupation - including parenting. I don't know, I look at the social strata and it appears the best teacher is lower on the totem pole compared to the lousiest lawyer or executive. I guess you could argue that the low pay means people who truly love teaching and have a passion for it are the ones who end up being teachers but I think the reality is that a lot of people who would make excellent teachers end up majoring in something else because it pays better. I want teachers to be paid more and given more responsibility (not in the form of testing students to death but reaching out to apathetic parents and working with city gov't to penalize parents for not getting involved).

 

I agree with Jeffrey, infrastructure should probably be second - unless of course it's a major safety hazard i.e. aging bridges and such. I think Obama is just catering to his union constituents with these infrastructure projects. The money seems like it will be allocated pretty carelessly.

I don't think most people with a degree start off at 40k.  Probably closer to 28k, actually.  Unless of course you're talking business, law, or computer science.

I thought 35-40k was about average for most professions that require a degree - assuming its a larger city and the economy is good. All I know is that teachers are relatively low on the pay scale.

 

Imo its a shame people sacrifice quality education for lower taxes. Even worse is cities with a high number of residents sending their kids to private schools. They have no reason to care about the public school system - the lower the taxes, the better.

I'd say education comes first.  Since Ohio is producing people for export, these people need to prepared to compete with people from other states, so a good education foundation is important.

 

That's a depressing (unfortunately true) statement.

I started out with a business degree making 25k.  Many teachers do no better.  Whether 25k-30k is a living wage depends on your credit rating and your "inherent overhead" in life, i.e. student loans.  My numbers were bad.  Much of my 20s was a daily struggle against homelessness which I didn't always win.  Without good friends I would have been on the street more than once, me and my college degree. 

 

From the bottom of society it was easy to see this downfall coming years in advance.  I don't think anything will fix this besides a significant redistribution, something that rarely takes place in an orderly fashion.  I can remember some friends in Youngstown saying "I don't know when 'it' starts, but 'it' will start somewhere around here.  We've just about had it."  The problem is that nobody has any money to spend right?  I don't know how else to fix that problem.  The money didn't just evaporate.  Somebody's got it.  I just hope people in charge realize we can't go back to the system that "worked" for the past 30+ years, because it never did actually work.  All it did was lead, inevitably, to this situation we have today. 

I don't think most people with a degree start off at 40k. Probably closer to 28k, actually. Unless of course you're talking business, law, or computer science.

 

Or in journalism where you often start at $20K.

http://209.51.133.155/cms/index.php/news_releases/more/gov_strickland_has_3_c_rail_in_state_of_the_state_speech/

 

Jan 28, 2009: Gov. Strickland has 3-C rail in State of the State speech

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Jan 22, 2009

Contact:

Ken Prendergast

All Aboard Ohio Interim Executive Director

(216) 288-4883

[email protected]

 

All Aboard Ohio is grateful to Gov. Ted Strickland for his historic inclusion of Cleveland - Columbus - Dayton - Cincinnati (3-C) Corridor passenger rail development in his State of the State speech given earlier today. The following excerpt from Gov. Strickland’s speech got a standing ovation from those in attendance:

 

“We will strengthen Ohio with innovative transportation projects. We will work toward the restoration of passenger rail service between Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. Our goal is to link Ohio’s three largest cities by passenger rail for the first time in 40 years. This will be a first step toward a rail system that links neighborhoods within a city, and cities within our state.”

 

The complete speech is at

http://www.governor.ohio.gov/GovernorsOffice/StateoftheState/StateoftheState2009/tabid/984/Default.aspx

 

“This is the first time in my memory that an Ohio governor has specifically included passenger rail development in a State of the State speech,” said All Aboard Ohio’s Interim Executive Director Ken Prendergast, who has been active in the association for 25 years. “Obviously, All Aboard Ohio is as pleased with the Governor’s statement as we were with his appointment last week of Jolene Molitoris as the new director of the Ohio Department of Transportation.”

 

The Ohio Rail Development Commission, a part of ODOT, has commissioned planning work by Amtrak for a “starter” passenger rail service in the state of Ohio. State law (specifically, the enabling legislation for ORDC) requires that the 3-C Corridor be the first intercity passenger rail service in the state of Ohio. Amtrak on Jan. 1 began its work on a nine-month implementation plan for starting 3-C passenger trains by the end of 2010.

 

“We will work to organize an already strong grassroots support for Gov. Strickland’s and Ms. Molitoris’s goals for the 3-C Corridor rail service as the first route in the statewide ‘Ohio Hub’ system,” Prendergast added. “That system will boost the economies in our existing communities in an energy efficient, environmentally sensitive way.”

 

ORDC and ODOT are asking for $100 million for the first phase of 3-C Corridor from the federal stimulus as well as $100 million for engineering and environmental impact studies necessary to make full build-out of the Ohio Hub System (see http://www.ohiohub.com) eligible for federal construction funding from the Passenger Rail Investment Act which Congress passed last fall.

 

All members and supporters of All Aboard Ohio are encouraged to contact their state and federal legislators today and ask them to support funding for passenger rail development in Ohio. To help you form your message, or to distribute to others, please download All Aboard Ohio’s 3-C Corridor presentation (1 mb):

 

http://members.cox.net/neotrans2/3-C%20Brochure.pdf

 

If you need information on how to contact your legislators, please visit:

 

Federal:

http://www.votesmart.org/official_congress.php

 

State:

Senate - http://www.votesmart.org/official_state_legislator.php?type=office&state_id=OH&criteria=upper

House - http://www.votesmart.org/official_state_legislator.php?type=office&state_id=OH&criteria=lower

Or in journalism where you often start at $20K.

 

Haha, so true. Any communications in general is brutal, but PR seems to be the best field. Journalism/news is about as rough as it gets, and it's probably why I don't feel bad for anyone making 30k or more a year.

 

Yes.  When I started out at SOHIO, I thought my pay was too low.  Then I found out what peers were bringing home.  I was thankful.

I don't think most people with a degree start off at 40k.  Probably closer to 28k, actually.  Unless of course you're talking business, law, or computer science.

 

I read this statement and thought "really?".  I graduated with a degree in communications and was making over $40k/year at my first job - as was everyone else who I knew that graduated from my major at OU.  Not to mention many of my friends with other majors (and at other schools) who seemed to be doing well for themselves.  I read more and more of the board and suddenly feel lucky to have graduated college when I did, even though it seemed the economy was starting to slump then too.  Well, it was, but not like today.

 

 

I don't think most people with a degree start off at 40k.  Probably closer to 28k, actually.  Unless of course you're talking business, law, or computer science.

 

 

 

I read this statement and thought "really?".  I graduated with a degree in communications and was making over $40k/year at my first job - as was everyone else who I knew that graduated from my major at OU.  Not to mention many of my friends with other majors (and at other schools) who seemed to be doing well for themselves.  I read more and more of the board and suddenly feel lucky to have graduated college when I did, even though it seemed the economy was starting to slump then too.  Well, it was, but not like today.

 

 

I thought the same thing.  I entered the work force in the late 80's and made just shy of 50k.  Granted SOHIO paid very well and gave out bonuses like water.

 

 

^ What's wierd is I never felt lucky about any part of my career until recently.  I entered the "real world" in January 2001 working for WorldCom.  I was in the last group of people hired prior to their bankruptcy filing.  I was working for all of 2 months before layoffs began on a regular quartely basis.  Layoffs occurred my entire 4 years there nearly every quarter until I left.

 

Now I am 75% certain I will be laid off from my current job (irnoic, I think, considering I survived WorldCom).  Yet I still feel pretty lucky.  Honestly, I am hoping I get laid off as it frees me of my 2 year commitment after finishing grad school.  I just need to time it so I can get severance and then be getting a paycheck...double dipping corporate style :)

When I read some of these happy career stories from the 80s, it reinforces my theory that our economy has been in free fall since at least that time.  People just a little older, between my age and my parents', seem oblivious to how hard things have gotten.  People my parents' age have been watching their kids go through it and some are just beginning to understand.  Some never will, due to a self-serving ideology that states if you have it, you were supposed to all along, and if you don't have it, that too is what nature intended.

 

Those who don't understand generally blame the victims.  "I just did what I was supposed to do and made good money with no problems.  Therefore, your problem is you."  Wrong.  As far as us late GenX and GenY people are concerned, we've been ripped off by those who came before us and who have tilted every policy toward enriching themselves at our expense.  We will remember this when you get old first.  Now might be a good time to stand with us on the issue of our pathetic little salaries. 

^ What's wierd is I never felt lucky about any part of my career until recently.  I entered the "real world" in January 2001 working for WorldCom.  I was in the last group of people hired prior to their bankruptcy filing.  I was working for all of 2 months before layoffs began on a regular quartely basis.  Layoffs occurred my entire 4 years there nearly every quarter until I left.

 

Now I am 75% certain I will be laid off from my current job (irnoic, I think, considering I survived WorldCom).  Yet I still feel pretty lucky.  Honestly, I am hoping I get laid off as it frees me of my 2 year commitment after finishing grad school.  I just need to time it so I can get severance and then be getting a paycheck...double dipping corporate style :)

 

Lay offs can be a blessing in disguise.  I won't be where I am now if those rat bastards at BP hadn't closed up shop!

I'd say education comes first. Since Ohio is producing people for export, these people need to prepared to compete with people from other states, so a good education foundation is important.

 

That's a depressing (unfortunately true) statement.

 

I've always wondered how Ohio's in-state tuition could somehow aim to keep graduates in the state.  Maybe a two-tiered program?  One for in-state students planning to stay, and another for those planning to leave.  Tuition could be 30% or so lower for those planning to stay in Ohio for at least 5 years.  That 30% could act as a sort of loan, anyone could choose to not pay it at the time, if they signed a document stating their intent to stay in Ohio.  If, after they graduated, they didn't pay income taxes/have a permanent residence in Ohio, then they would owe it back.

 

I may just be insane, and upset that 75% of my classmates in DAAP plan to leave the state the second they get their degree.

 

 

 

I thought the same thing.  I entered the work force in the late 80's and made just shy of 50k.  Granted SOHIO paid very well and gave out bonuses like water.

 

 

Well you worked for the devil and we all know he has the most competitive salaries. I bet Phillip Morris and Halliburton pay well too.

 

 

 

I thought the same thing.  I entered the work force in the late 80's and made just shy of 50k.  Granted SOHIO paid very well and gave out bonuses like water.

 

 

Well you worked for the devil and we all know he has the most competitive salaries. I bet Phillip Morris and Halliburton pay well too.

 

I had shoes to pay for and mouths to feed.

I had shoes to pay for and mouths to feed.

 

So does everybody else, but they're making half as much PLUS they have student loans.  Smoke that in your pipe.  I will now shut up about generational angst.

 

Sometimes working for the man is unavoidable.  I was watching a Greatest American Hero DVD yesterday, which I highly recommend-- it was formative for me in my youth.  Anyway, the main character lectures his students about how bad it is to bury hazardous waste in Utah.  Ha!  I buried hazardous waste in Utah.  Didn't dig the hole myself, but you know what I mean.  I did the paperwork to make it happen.  The things we do with radiation... Greatest American Hero would not approve.  I didn't even get paid that much for it.  But it was that or nothing.