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 Staff photo/Katie Yantis: A truck dumps dirt along the Miami and Erie Canal towpath where it crosses Ohio 66. The project will make it easier for those using the towpath to cross Ohio 66.
By KATIE YANTIS
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — Hiker, bikers and walkers in the region will notice a
difference in a few sections of the Miami and Erie Canal towpath trail
starting this week.
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Officials talk gov's package |
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Friday, 13 February 2009 |
By ANGELA WEAVER
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — Recently, Gov. Ted Strickland announced his plan to revamp the state’s educational system, a plan area administrators say makes them excited and cautious.
Strickland’s plan includes six components — 21st century learning environments, expanded learning opportunities, high quality educators, measure Ohio students against the world, school district accountability and effective funding for a 21st century system of education.
Wapakoneta City Schools Superintendent Keith Horner described the aspects of Strickland’s plan as all positive things for education, but said the only difficult part would be implementing them.
“He (Strickland) wants to go down to 15 students per teacher,” Horner said, adding that Wapakoneta usually has anywhere from 20 to 25 students per classroom. “Even with new buildings, we don’t have enough space.” A few of Strickland’s plans are already implemented in Wapakoneta, Horner said.
He added he did not know the depth of Strickland’s requirements in those areas.
“We do a lot of service learning inbetween schools — does every kid do service learning, no,” Horner said. “That may be what he is trying to do.”
New Knoxville Superintendent Kim Waterman said she believes there is more thought that needs to go into Strickland’s plan.
“He’s thinking about us, which is good,” she said. “But a lot of thought still needs to go into it — like what is fair for each school system.”
St. Marys City Schools Superintendent Mary Riepenhoff said she also believed that there is a lot of learning that needs to be done, like with the state keeping the superintendents informed about what will happen with their school district.
Minster Local Schools Superintendent Gayl Ray said she thinks, philosophically, Strickland’s plan is a good idea, but it is ambitious.
“I think this is going to be changed many times,” Ray said.
“The funding stream doesn’t match what they want to deliver. Where’s the money going to be coming from?”
Ray suggested Ohio government officials look at the plan and decide what is going to be phased in each year and where the money will come from, while informing the superintendents.
“If he checks with the local superintendents to say is this really doable, let’s prioritize and phase in what we can,” she said.
Waterman said one of the aspects of Strickland’s plan was implemented in New Knoxville last year but was cut this year because of funding
issues.
“The board in the building has wanted to bring all day kindergarten back,” she said. “We did last year, but it was put on the back burner this year because of the economy.”
Riepenhoff said St. Marys already implements all-day, everyday kindergarten, something she said the state presently only funds for half-day. She added that parents of St. Marys kindergartners don’t pay kindergarten tuition, something other districts have implemented to offset the
costs.
Ray said she also liked Strickland’s plan for kindergarten, but also is a funding issue.
“We have the room, but we would have to add on a teacher,” she said. “Who is going to pay for the districts who don’t have the room?”
Riepenhoff said she liked the idea of a senior community project, saying it was something she had in her former district of Van Wert.
“It was always very positive on the students and the community,” she said. “There are a whole host of businesses, agencies and organizations that enjoy student input and student help.”
Riepenhoff said she liked the alternate choices for students regarding the OGTs.
“There’s many kids across the state of Ohio who struggle with that test,” she said. “Finding alternatives is a good thing to do.”
Waterman said she was concerned about the enaction of an ACT requirement and the elimination of the Ohio Graduation Test, a test she says the state has put so much effort in already.
“We have put so much money into getting materials and getting the teachers and students prepared for that test,” she said, adding that the state has already spent much money on changing the OGTs. “My biggest concern is funding.”
Waterman said Strickland’s proposal of lengthening the school day and school year also relate back to funding.
“That’s a funding issue,” she said, adding that the district would have to be paying teachers more for the extra days, days that the teachers may not want to have.
Riepenhoff said she is “excited” by the idea of lengthening the school year but also questioned the funding.
“The summertime gap puts us behind,” she said. “We spend the first few weeks of school trying to refresh the students. I just don’t understand how the government is going to deal with the cost.”
She said she also liked the plan of a teacher residency program.
“They say a teacher comes into their own after three years, so why not let them partner with another teacher until they reach that confidence level,” she said.
Ray said her main concern was the plan becoming too political.
“I don’t want it to be political and not based on the kids,” she said, adding that she is thankful the governor is taking a step to solve the education problem even if it is ambitious. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 17 February 2009 )
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