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Home > Blogs > Lakota Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > June > 03 > Entry
What is our government up to?
The following is a “guest blog” from a Lakota resident and school board candidate running this fall. He is on a committee in Columbus, and as a parent, wants to keep the community informed about what the government officials are doing and saying in the education world.
Recently the Parent Advisory Council met with the State Superintendent in Columbus and discussed what was going on in the world of Ohio Education.
The first question to her was regarding the use of Ohio’s stimulus funds. The Supt. stated Ohio was not getting any funds for general education. Foundation formulas had to be cut. Some of the money will be awarded through competitive grants. The bulk of the funds will be Title I or IDEA funds which have many restrictions on their use. Because of this, ODE cannot tell districts how to use their funds. Ohio’s stimulus check will come in July. ODE will post a list on the website of the amount of funding to the districts. Districts must prove the funds are being used in innovative ways. Until such time, the 2nd portion of the funds will not be awarded (not guaranteed). Supt. Delisle will be meeting with the Urban 8’s to see what they are working on. The stimulus funds must be kept separately from other district revenue. The Superintendent noted it is important for people to share their stories as to how this money has made a difference in their lives. Note: the ODE website list Lakota as receiving $3,530,568.59 in funds to be used for IDEA part B. Here is the link: http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=520. I have not confirmed this with Mr. Taylor.
Should all students be required to take the ACT/SAT like they currently take the PSAT?
Supt. Delisle informed PAC members that the OGT (Ohio Graduation Test) is being phased out and replaced with all students taking the ACT. Scores will be sent to all universities for free where currently a limited number of universities chosen by the student can receive the scores free of charge. Any additional submissions are at a cost. She noted that some will argue that not all children will go to college and thus should not be required to take the ACT. But, community college enrollment is swelling because many adults are now going to college since they cannot obtain a good paying position without a college degree. We want to be sure students leave with their ACT requirement fulfilled so they can attend college if they want to in the future. Next year’s 7th graders will be the first class not to take the OGT.
How will this affect children with disabilities? The Supt. stated there would be more emphasis on supporting students that are most challenged.
What score is needed on the ACT for college admission? Supt. Delisle said this varies by school but around 18. In response to a question, the Supt. stated it has yet to be determined if the test could be re-taken if the student receives a low score. She is working with the Chancellor of the Board of Regents regarding teacher preparation programs to get highly qualified teachers. They are also discussing support systems for teachers in hard to serve areas.
The OAT writing test will be eliminated in elementary school. It will instead be incorporated into the Reading test to make it a true language arts assessment.
Supt. Delisle declared that some day in the future she would like to see students take tests on subject areas when they are ready instead of when the state says they should take it. For example if a child is advanced in one subject area and wants to take the test before their senior year, they would be able to take the test. We have to look at the needs of the children.
Today ( 6-2-09) State School Superintendent Deborah Delisle sent out the following email to the Advisory Council Leaders: Budget update
“Last Friday, the Ohio Senate introduced their version of the House Bill 1. As you have likely read, the Senate’s version has several variations from the House’s version. A comparison document, prepared by the Ohio Legislative Services Commission, is available on the ODE Budget information page.
The Senate version of the bill retains some of the proposed reform initiatives, but also returns the funding formula to the current per-pupil method. Under the Senate plan, all districts will be on the guarantee and receive a .25 and .5 percent increase in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years, respectively. The Senate plan also calls for the development of a commission to study the creation of a per-pupil evidence-based funding system.
The Senate is expected to pass the current version of the bill this week. Once that happens, a Conference Committee will be convened, which includes representatives from both the House and the Senate. They will work through differences between the House and Senate versions. Each chamber will vote to accept or reject the version created during Conference Committee sometime in the next few weeks.”
Ray Murray Lakota rep to the State Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council.
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By Robert G.
June 3, 2009 1:05 PM | Link to this
Good job Ray! You approach the state government head on. I enjoyed watching you speak with the governor over the past year. Keep it up.
By Jane Thomas
June 4, 2009 2:39 PM | Link to this
Very good report. It is nice to have a Lakota resident fill us in on what is going on. I did not know we were in line to receive stimulus money.
By Wahrsagen
February 22, 2010 4:53 PM | Link to this
Wow enjoyed reading your post. I submitted your rss to my blogreader!!