Ohio Outlines Top Local Education Priorities

Education is the top concern for voters in this fall's gubernatorial campaign and Speak Out for Ohio Schools gave Ohioans the opportunity to share their concerns with the candidates. At each Speak Out event community leaders and area residents concerned with education discussed local education issues and developed the following list of local education priorities for the gubernatorial candidates.

In Toledo the top priorities were:

1. Holding Ohio¹s next governor accountable for making education his top priority;
2. Assessing and supporting the needs of the whole child;
3. A fair funding formula that provides adequate resources and provides for local control and an end to unfunded mandates;
4. Using consistent and equal measures to evaluate public, private and charter schools; and
5. Development of career technology programs to prepare young people for success who don¹t go on to college.

In Cincinnati the top priorities were:

1. The leadership and commitment to making education the first priority for Ohio;
2. Accountable policies to address the needs of students challenged by socioeconomic circumstances, and
3. Long term solutions to Ohio's over reliance on property taxes to fund public education.

In Columbus the top priorities were:

1. Make public education your first priority by ensuring and funding a high-quality, comprehensive education for all children.
2. Invest in early childhood education.
3. Increase parental involvement in new, innovative ways.
4. Stop funding charter schools & vouchers with taxpayer dollars.
5. Ensure equitable facilities for all Ohio¹s children.

In Youngstown the top priorities were:

1. Make education the #1 priority and remember schools after November.
2. Make all schools accountable to the same standards.
3. Fix funding to be equitable with local discretion.
4. Address issues of poverty.
5. Incorporate best practices in student assessment.

Click on your locality to sign on to your top local education priorities:

• Central Ohio (Columbus)
• Southwest Ohio (Cincinnati)
• Northwest Ohio (Toledo)
• Northeast Ohio (Youngstown)