Again at odds with fellow Republicans, Gov. John Kasich blasted Senate leaders yesterday for altering his third-grade reading guarantee, arguing the changes “weaken efforts to improve education for Ohio’s children.”
Kasich said he was “troubled by moves under way in the Senate,” specifically efforts to delay for a year a requirement that third-graders pass the state reading test before moving up to the fourth grade, and dropping the cut score so that fewer students are affected.
Later, state schools Superintendent Stan Heffner warned that the changes created “loopholes” that may undermine Ohio’s effort to avoid some requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
“As educators, we know that failure to identify struggling readers in early grades dooms them to a lifetime of struggle. We have an obligation to ensure that students have the help they need to be successful, and that’s why it’s so important to have high standards and good intervention systems,” he said.
Senate Republicans seemed surprised by the criticism and insisted they support the governor’s goal and are trying to improve on his effort.
“We are making sure every child gets help,” said Senate Education Chairwoman Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering. “I think we are 100 percent with the governor on this.”
Kasich’s condemnation came just minutes after the education committee unanimously approved amendments affecting more than a dozen aspects of his education plan. Lawmakers also delayed for a year a tougher grading system for school performance and created a task force to recommend a way to evaluate schools.
The Senate is expected to pass the amended version of Kasich’s plan today and send it to the House.
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