Education

SCPD Education Position Statement: 6/14/16

We strongly believe Ohio should meet its constitutional mandate to provide a “thorough and efficient system of common schools.” Every child in Ohio should have an equal and robust opportunity to achieve his or her highest potential. Responsibility for education goes beyond the education community to create an environment in which children can learn and thrive. Therefore, we support the following:

Educational Priorities—Ohio must:

• define a “thorough” education that will prepare students for career success in a global economy, for responsible citizenship, and for healthy and fulfilling lives;
• adopt rigorous, measurable standards that will support said thorough education and hold all educational entities accountable for meeting those standards;
• provide access for all students to a comprehensive curriculum including but not limited to traditional academic areas, art, music, physical education, family and consumer sciences, foreign languages, career-technical education, Advanced Placement classes, and postsecondary opportunities;
• recognize the role of poverty and other external influences on student learning and bring together educational, social and economic resources to address these factors, and
• in order to best represent the will of Ohio’s citizens and reduce the often-destabilizing influence of politics, reinstate the all-elected State Board of Education.

Educational Funding Priorities—Ohio must:

• provide a system of funding that is adequate, equitable, efficient, and predictable;
• require accountability and transparency regarding use of tax dollars without exception;
• direct tax dollars only to schools with publicly elected Boards of Education; and
• assure that state mandates are fully funded with state funds;

Staff Priorities—Ohio must:

• support hiring and maintaining highly qualified, properly credentialed, and well-compensated professional and support staff;
• support ongoing professional development and collaboration; and
• support ongoing teacher evaluation based on clear and equitable standards for growth and performance; and
• continue to allow substantive collective bargaining between local teachers’ unions and their school boards.

Extended Education Priorities—Ohio must:

• require and fully fund all-day kindergarten and pre-K education;
• provide accessible and affordable post secondary education; and
• provide accessible and affordable high school equivalency preparation and testing.