* Ohio Gov. Kasich has high expectations on the leasing of the Ohio Turnpike. Kasich thinks that a huge amount of money will come to Ohio with his deal. Experts are offering their views on the proposal.
Bloomberg:
Governor John Kasich said he is convinced that leasing the Ohio Turnpike is “a winner,” even as current and former governors in neighboring states say they doubt he would get as much as they did for their toll roads.
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels said it’s “unreasonable” for Ohio to expect the $3.8 billion investors paid for his toll road in 2006. The $12.8 billion bid for Pennsylvania’s turnpike in 2008, which was rejected by lawmakers, likely would be less today, former Governor Ed Rendell said.....
.....The Ohio Turnpike collected $232.2 million of toll revenue in 2010, according to the commission’s annual report. Fares were last raised in October 2009. It costs the driver of a vehicle with two axles and shorter than 7 feet 6 inches (229 centimeters) $15 to travel the full length of the road if they pay cash, according to the commission’s website....
It seems silly for the state to give up that revenue of $232.2 million for a one shot influx of money. Kasich seems a little too anxious on this idea.
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*** The Kasich administration wants to pay teachers based on merit. Unfortunately, Kasich and the Republicans seem completely clueless about what teachers do and how to "grade" them. The governor sent some of his overpaid staff members to try to get ideas from teachers.
MansfieldNewsJournal:
Representatives from Gov. John Kasich's office were in Mansfield on Thursday to meet with a small group of current and former educators about the topic.
The recently enacted state budget requires every school district to adopt a new teacher-evaluation system by the start of the 2013-14 school year. Robert Sommers, director of the governor's office of 21st-century education, said the Ohio Department of Education will develop the framework for teacher evaluations this year......
Back in the days in which I was a classroom teacher, I always managed to get those students with learning differences, behavior challenges, and other types of difficulties. My students did not perform as well as other students because I dealt with an entirely different group of challenges than other teachers. My students improved their learning and succeeded, but not in ways that could be measured on tests.
Principals also play favorites. Teachers who remain friendly with the principal, often don't get those more difficult situations in the classroom. How would compensation make things equal? How would compensation be paid out to teachers in middle and high schools? Would related arts teachers (industrial technology, home etc, phys. ed, band/choir, foreign language, etc.) be left out of the merit pay reward system? In some districts, teachers are responsible for five or six classes/day, while others only teach four classes/day. How can everyone be rated equally?
When will Kasich and the GOP get off of the backs of teachers?