TheRepublic:
....Ohio has 614 school districts, a number that could be in for some subtraction depending on results of a study called for by Gov. John Kasich, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The governor has asked Ohio lawmakers to set up a panel to explore whether money could be saved and the quality of learning could be boosted by consolidating districts, something not done on a grand scale since the 1960s, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported....
When a smaller district gets absorbed by a larger district, parents and students lose the right to be heard, the right to take certain classes, choices for sports, parental input, etc. This is just another way for the Republicans to consolidate their power in the state.
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Two Springboro school board members are one vote short of having the support on the five-member board to push for “creationism” in classrooms there, which would likely ignite a wider debate on teaching religion in public schools and maybe set up a court fight.....
......Kelly Kohls, who was elected in Springboro on a platform of fiscal responsibility two years ago, requested last week the district’s curriculum director look into ways of providing “supplemental” instruction dealing with creationism. Fellow member, Scott Anderson, who was elected with Kohls when the district was struggling financially, supports his colleague’s idea.....
Do you remember this? "...Kasich said he supports teaching both evolution and “creation science” in Ohio biology classes..." (Link)
Parents, teachers, and students need to speak up and make sure that Ohio's students don't move back into the dark ages of science to fulfill some right wing, radical, Tea Party member's beliefs.
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* U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown's office helped a local advocacy group for the poor get a grant to expand the Capital Park Neighborhood Health Center.
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>>>>> People want to know if Gov. Kasich's public/private JobsOhio is legal. Even though Progress Ohio has filed a case questioning the constitutionality of JobsOhio, Kasich, and his pal, Mark Kvamme, are moving ahead with the project. JobsOhio will use tax money from Ohioans to fund an agency that will reward some with bonuses, keep secret some of the deals, and work behind closed doors. Of course, transparency in the Ohio government gets thrown out the window in the Kasich administration.BusinessFirst:
...Mark Kvamme, Kasich's job-creation czar, told the paper up to 35 employees for JobsOhio will be hired by October. At that point, the agency's board likely will have chosen a permanent chief investment officer, a position for which he's in consideration. It's also hired two key managers put in charge of industry sectors, and is looking for more.
So far, the only thing we've seen coming out of Kasich's job's plan has been huge tax cuts/credits for businesses while they hire a miniscule amount of people. Ohioans haven't seen the job creation he promised. In fact, the only thing we've seen is his support for legislation that targets teachers, fire fighters, police officers, and nurses/workers in hospitals owned by the state (like University Hospital at OSU). Kasich and his Republican members of the Ohio General Assembly, blame everything on Ohio's public employees, while he still refuses to take blame for the financial mismanagement that created the recession from firms like Lehman Brothers (his former employer).
(Note: If you go to see the movie, Horrible Bosses, be sure to listen to the references to Lehman Brothers.)
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* A judge in Mansfield, Ohio, a Democrat, has a court just for veterans. According to the MansfieldNewsJournal, the innovative way Mansfield Municipal Judge Jerry Ault has set up his veterans court is under study:
...The specialized docket identifies veterans whose problems might be related to combat stress. It identifies resources available to treat their problems and helps determine whether they qualify for Veterans Affairs services.