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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2011 > March > 22 > Entry
School choice backers rally at the Statehouse
Starlett Harrod of Oxford in Butler County had a simple, straightforward reason for joining more than 1,000 supporters of school choice who rallied outside Statehouse in Columbus on Tuesday:
“They’re our children.”
Harrod, who home schools her children, said parents should have a choice in how their children are educated, an opinion echoed by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, Secretary of State Jon Husted and other speakers.
Jordan used the biblical story of David’s conquest of Goliath the giant to woo the receptive crowd. The opponents of school choice seem formidable but David took another approach to Goliath, said Jordan:
“He’s so big I can’t miss him.”
Husted told those in the crowd that their movement was “about freedom.”
The rally came with the school choice movement on the upswing, backed by Republican Gov. John Kasich and the Republican-controlled legislature.
Kasich’s two-year budget proposal calls for increasing from 14,000 to 30,000 in the first year and 50,000 in the second year the number of vouchers available to students enrolled in public schools in districts rated in academic watch or academic emergency for two of the last three years and for removing the limit on charter schools.
Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, whose parents paid for him to attend Catholic schools, said that he is concerned that the broad expansion of school choice would dilute the quality of all school programs - public, charter schools and vouchers.
“We have almost three systems and all of them are underfunded,” said Luckie.
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By emeckouro
May 27, 2011 3:36 PM | Link to this
I find myself coming to your blog more and more often to the point where my visits are almost daily now!
By Chad
March 28, 2011 5:36 PM | Link to this
Once again we have religion paraded as school choice. … … … .If you want to go to your own school, use your own money—don’t use the taxes for schools that every pays for the public system. It’s just like how the taxes I pay in go for Medicaid and welfare and other things including stadiums that I don’t want it to go for. So get used to using your own money instead of trying to use religion to subvert other people’s money. WE like our schools.
By Structured Choice
March 24, 2011 6:35 PM | Link to this
Good public schools are out there. Don’t undermine those with a convoluted, unaccountable system. Chasing good teachers out of public schools isn’t helping either. You take your own chances with religious/charter schools. With freedom comes responsibility. No need for vouchers. As you like to say, nobody owes you a living: you are provided by law with a public education, and any other expenses are yours, so suck it up.
By Leslie
March 23, 2011 7:05 PM | Link to this
Democrats are pro-choice when it comes to abortion, but not school? What other issues are the democrats not pro-choice?
By Sandra
March 23, 2011 12:48 PM | Link to this
I attended the rally in Columbus and it was inspiring to see so many parents with their children attending this rally. School Choice is freedom of choice. Freedom to choose what is best for your child. Schools have become buracracies with an agenda. Buracracies waste money and have a proven record of abuse. I sat in on the House hearings on “Teach for America.” Those opposed stated that “the teachers were not getting respect.” Where is the respect for our families? The bill passed. Thank God!
By Paul1
March 22, 2011 9:07 PM | Link to this
Parents and taxpayers aren’t satisfied with public schools. Unionized education is holding our kids back.
By Tammy
March 22, 2011 9:02 PM | Link to this
The public schools including teachers are the root of all evil and teach children to lie, cheat and steal, much like their teachers. Vouchers have zero to do with religion, just choice and freedom from union greed.
By Cheech
March 22, 2011 7:19 PM | Link to this
To “C Clark” Moving to another district still keeps your children in the same Public System, solves nothing. 2. Each taxpayer should be allowed to take with them the monies allocated for the education of their child to any school. Why should they pay to go to a private school and subsidize your child as well. They paid the taxes. 3. Home school is an option and they should be exempt from property taxes because they are instructing their child themselves. 4. Unless the entire district takes up your last option nothing will be done. Regretfully people are afraid to stand up to the school board and not enough informed voters are available to remove members. Products of the Public System.
By C Clark
March 22, 2011 6:09 PM | Link to this
Parents do have a choice, lots of choices. A) move into the school district you want you child to attend and pay the higher price for the house and higher taxes. B) Pay for private school out of your own pocket not the taxpayers C) Home-school (like the parent mentioned has been) D)Work to make your school district better. However taking taxpayer money to pay for private school is not an option especially since he is cutting funding for other more deserving things to balance the budget.
By Skeptic
March 22, 2011 4:20 PM | Link to this
A charter school in Toledo was shut down by the State for performance, and re-opened with a new name but the same staff. School choice is usually just a code for religious education and for-profit corporations. The thing we really need is a strong regional school system, which will cut costs and provide affordable opportunities to all students.
By Sonja Block
March 22, 2011 3:44 PM | Link to this
School choice is wonderful, but the fact of the matter is that many charter schools do not keep the students who do not behave or achieve to the standard of the school. Those students then go to public schools where they are educated regardless of their behavior and achievement. Public schools educate everybody. Give thanks for public schools who teach all and do not get rid of students. That is why you cannot compare charter, private, and public schools.