Ohio’s Plan for Education Reform
Every Ohio Child Deserves a Quality Education
Every Ohio student deserves a quality education. This year in Ohio we need to pass new policies that will make that a reality.
Cleveland Transformation Plan
Mayor Jackson has outlined a plan that will put the Cleveland Metropolitan School District on the path to provide every child with an excellent education. State lawmakers should support change in Cleveland by adopting policies that put the mayor’s plan into action.
Reward Effective Teachers
In order to recruit and retain excellent teachers, CMSD must be able to implement a comprehensive teacher evaluation system based in part on student achievement growth. In addition, the district must be able to make staffing decisions based on teacher effectiveness including teacher layoff and placement decisions and creating pay structures that reward effectiveness in the classroom. The Mayor is currently working with the Cleveland Teachers' Union to reach an agreement on these proposals.
Increase Quality Public School Options
Cleveland must be able to increase the number of high performing charter schools in the city and make it easier for the best schools to replicate. At the same time, the city must have the authority to close persistently failing schools, both traditional and charter.
Spend Wisely
CMSD must have the authority to direct funding to programs that will increase student learning.
The Cleveland Transformation Plan – with the state policy changes it requires – is currently being considered by legislators.
Empower Parents with Quality Information
Parents deserve quality information to make good choices about where their kids attend school. Ohio should implement an "A – F" school grading system so parents can easily understand the performance of their child’s school and compare it to other schools across their community.
In addition, we need to raise the standards by which we judge our schools. A rating system is only useful if a high rating is meaningful. Schools that receive an "A" should be successfully preparing all students for school and the workforce.
SB 316 will require that school report cards provided to all parents use an easy-to-understand "A – F" grading scale and implement higher standards so that an “A” means the school is successfully preparing all students for college and the workforce.
