DeWine addresses testing, funding in education plan

Attorney General Mike DeWine wants to reduce student testing in Ohio schools, direct more state aid to needy districts and mandate tuition guarantees at public universities and colleges across the state.

The Republican candidate for governor unveiled his education agenda Thursday, saying that providing children with a good education will build a better future for Ohio.

“We need less testing and more learning in our schools so that educators have the ability to teach our children to do more than multiplechoice tests, and instead focus on problem solving, logic skills and creativity that will help prepare them to be college ready or on a pathway to a career once they graduate,” DeWine said.

Under fire for not tackling the ECOT scandal, DeWine also pledged to hold online schools more accountable by establishing a pay-forperformance model that requires students to show competency on end-ofcourse exams before an online school receives all of its state aid.

“It’s really the only way to make sure we’re getting our money’s worth,” he said.

Democrats have blasted DeWine and other GOP officeholders for allowing the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow to collect more than $1 billion in state aid while putting out more dropouts than graduates. ECOT founder Bill Lager donated more than $2 million to Republicans.

DeWine, facing Democrat Rich Cordray in the Nov. 6 election, recently donated $12,533 in Lager contributions to charity and filed a lawsuit to recover millions from Lager and other ECOT officials. The school closed in January.

The former U.S. senator, lieutenant governor, U.S. representative, state senator and Greene County prosecutor says less standardized testing will allow more time for teaching and learning. It mirrors a recent proposal by the Ohio Department of Education.

DeWine proposes more equitable funding for schools by directing more state aid to the poorest districts, but whether that’s additional money or redirecting existing dollars has not been determined.

“We don’t know until we see the budget and how the economy is doing,” he said.

Ohio’s voluntary tuition guarantee would become mandatory for all public universities and colleges under DeWine’s plan to ensure students never pay more than they did their freshman year. DeWine says he also will increase funding to the Ohio College Opportunity Grant program that provides aid to low-income Ohioans.

In addition, DeWine proposes tying state funding to public colleges and universities to job attainment rates to incentivize schools’ efforts to help their graduates secure employment.

Democrats responded to the plan by blasting DeWine’s record on education.

“Mike DeWine has spent his 42-year political career shortchanging our students and fighting against giving them the resources they need to succeed,” Ohio Democratic spokeswoman Robyn Patterson said. “DeWine voted against reducing class size. He voted against special-education funding, and he voted against investing in the resources our schools need.”