Following a roundtable with Monroe school officials and teachers, Acton expressed concerns about fully funding the state’s public schools.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“If we remember Ohio history … Ohio made this constitutional commitment to have a public school in every community. They felt it would make for a really educated citizenship that would be more civically involved, they felt it would lift the whole economy of this new era, of this new state. And that is an essential agreement, that was a foundational principle, and we are not fully funding our public schools, our constitutional commitment,” she said.
Acton also criticized Ohio’s recently implemented school voucher system, which she described as lacking transparency and accountability, adding that the state must “re-look at what a 21st century education looks like” in light of the advent of artificial intelligence.
“Ohio used to be at the top. We were always the top measure of education. We are now falling below,” Acton said.
Acton also spoke with high school students about college credit, as well as their concerns about the state of the world, social media and AI.
“The high school students were wonderful, and I think if everyone got to hear them, we’d feel a lot better about our future,” Acton said. “I think in the times we’ve been living in, and it’s been very topsy-turvy, heavy news cycles, more overwhelming stimulus than you could ever get in social media, it was really comforting to see these young people wanting to help their neighbor and really valuing their relationships.”
Monroe recently completed a $2.5 million construction project to convert a junior high gym into eight new classrooms in two stories along with two smaller, learning conference rooms. The project was necessary to provide more learning spaces for students as the Butler County school system rapidly expands, Monroe Schools Superintendent Robert Buskirk said at the time.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“I’m so proud of what’s happening here in Monroe, but for us to keep this momentum, we have to have honest conversations about the state of school funding in Ohio. We believe it’s important for representatives to experience the power of public education firsthand, which is why we invited several state leaders, including Dr. Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy to see the meaningful work happening in our classrooms every day,” Buskirk said. “We believe that by building these relationships and showcasing the achievements of our students and staff, we can demonstrate to all our representatives why consistent support from the state is so important for our district’s future.”
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