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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > July > 01 > Entry
Finn unloads on education in Ohio
Checker Finn
Over at the opinion page’s blog, Editorial page editor Ellen Belcher noticed that Fordham Foundation President Checker Finn, a Dayton native, unloaded on his home state for its education policy under Gov. Ted Strickland in a column that was published in the Wall Street Journal.
Even for Finn, who often ruffles feathers with pointed commentaries, this column has raised eyebrows. There is no love lost between Strickland, who has professed high skepticism about school choice, and Finn, who is perhaps the nation’s most important school choice champion.
And to some extent the column is a pre-emptive strike against Strickland’s promised education overhaul, due next year. Many school choice fans fear Strickland’s main goals will be to dismantle as much of the 1990s Republican efforts at education reform as possible, which could threaten the future of school choice programs. Fears are especially high after Strickland successfully forced out state Superintendent Susan Zelman, who implemented much of the Republican agenda over the last decade.
Take a look and let us know what you think.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: Charter Schools and School Choice, Schools and Politics
Comments
By andy
July 23, 2008 3:21 PM | Link to this
Finn asks, “How else to explain why Gov. Ted Strickland’s approval ratings are in the mid-50s ?” Possible answer: No systemic corruption or vote manipulating (so far).By Oldprof
July 4, 2008 8:20 PM | Link to this
Classic, you overestimate the amount of micromanaging that even the recent Republican-led legislature could do. Yes, some of the OBE agenda was driven by law—much more of it was driven by the philosophy of Zelman and the OBE. The failure of OBE to devise and implement a reliable way of counting enrollments, for example, was not the legislature’s fault (except insofar as they permitted Zelman and the bumbling, secretive board of education to continue unchecked).By taxpayer
July 3, 2008 11:47 AM | Link to this
Isn’t Strickland 18 months into his term, not “a full two years”? Finn wants to blame Strickland for all the statistics of a bad economy that he cites at the beginning of the piece, yet they almost all occurred during a reign of complete Republican control of state government.By Waiting for change
July 3, 2008 3:26 AM | Link to this
I’m a fan of Gov. Strickland’s approach. What gets education in trouble is trying to change things overnight. There absolutely must be change, but let’s make it the right change, not just change for the sake of change. As for Checker Finn, his rants about school choice are getting old. Ohio has a huge number of charters and they’re underperforming, badly. If something has been given a chance and works, keep it. Adopt it elsewhere. Where it’s not working, even after being given years to prove its worth, let it die.By lou
July 3, 2008 12:33 AM | Link to this
WOW!defiantly not polically correct, but he does have some valid points.By Mary
July 2, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this
I agree with Checker Finn. It is a little like telling someone they have bad breath. They might not care or want to hear it or do anything about it, but they still just might have bad breath. The world has too many leaders and followers with the cheerleading approach.By Oldprof
July 2, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this
Unless Finn has something new to say—like the truth that “Everything that we claimed about school choice failed to materialize, and it’s wound up costing the public for its inefficiencies”—then I don’t need to read his ignorant spoutings. So let me know if he’s had an epiphany; sounds like so far he’s stuck in his preconceived notions despite all evidence to the contrary.By School Supporter (Classic)
July 1, 2008 11:02 PM | Link to this
Scott writes, “Superintendent Susan Zelman … implemented much of the Republican agenda over the last decade.” This is called “keeping your oath of office.” Recall that the “Republican agenda” was enacted as law, and the State Board and Ohio Department of Education are obliged to comply. Apparently, keeping your oath of office in this state can make enemies. Apparently, Strickland is looking for someone less competent in order to sabotage the legislative branch.