NO: Standards were unduly influenced by online schools
public microphone.” Later, I was told that the pressure came from a state board of education member appointed by Gov. John Kasich whose day job was to get more high school graduates enrolled at four-year universities.
The work group suggested a fix for the class of 2018, which prevented the crisis our politicians created.
The fix was accepted and eventually expanded to the class of 2019. In the meantime, another superintendent work group, which included K-12 educators, was assembled to suggest a long-term solution. This group came up with rigorous requirements that not only demonstrated which students were college ready, but also gave students with no desire to attend a fouryear university the ability to graduate with demonstrated skills that would benefit them in the workplace.
However, as the second group completed its work, along came yet another group, Ohio Excels, with its own plan, closer to the original requirements that created the crisis. Ohio Excels is well-funded and has strong political connections. Its backers support online charter schools like ECOT, which stole millions of our tax dollars. The superintendent work group and Ohio Excels each presented their ideas to the state board of education and the board voted 14-1 to support the work group’s plan.
After years of work from educators and others concerned about Ohio’s graduation requirements and with the support of the Ohio Board of Education, common sense should have led our politicians to support the work group’s plan. However, politically well-connected lobbyists with lots of cash convinced our politicians otherwise.
Why do online charter schools care about graduation requirements? Many of them are run by private for-profit companies whose only concern is profit. The more students struggle to graduate from traditional schools, the more students try online alternatives, which are funded by our tax dollars. The private company operating the online charter school makes millions regardless of the success or failure of its students. My experiences have demonstrated that many of the students the online schools accept return to traditional schools further behind than when they left, but the for-profit operator still keeps our tax dollars.
Thus, the groups supporting Ohio Excels increase profits when traditional schools fail.
Why would politicians listen to such a group, especially over the recommendations of others who have devoted their professional lives to students? Because online schools contribute heavily to politicians.
The only way we the people will put an end to such deplorable political practices is to hold our politicians accountable. When Ohio's public school graduation rates fall, people should remember that the culprits are our politicians.