FitzGerald Statement on Ohio’s Achievement Gap

May 1, 2014

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald issued the following statement on the recently released Casey Foundation report, showing Ohio has one of the nation’s worst achievement gaps between black and white students.

“This report makes it clear that Governor Kasich’s approach to the achievement gap is failing our students. There is no reason Ohio should be doing worse than the rest of the nation. As Governor, I will address this issue at its source by investing in early childhood education and working to close our state’s opportunity gap. We cannot continue Governor Kasich’s policy of doing too little, too late for students who have already fallen behind.”

KASICH FAILING STUDENTS FROM PRE-K TO COLLEGE

Ohio’s Achievement Gap is Widespread & One of Nation’s Worst: “While gaps between achievement of black and white students are not new, the study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation reports that Ohio’s black children fared particularly poorly compared with the rest of the country. In addition, data from the Ohio Department of Education shows the problem of achievement gaps stretches across every corner of the state.” [Newark Advocate, 4/28/2014]

Kasich Has Done “Miserable Job” Of Funding Early Childhood Education: “Gov. John Kasich’s ‘Ohio miracle’ doesn’t apply to the state’s most precious citizens — the very young…Ohio continues to do a miserable job of funding quality education programs that give disadvantaged 3- and 4-year-olds a chance to succeed in school…But of Ohio’s 138,000 3- and 4-year-olds who live in poverty, only about 66,000 receive some preschool — much of it low-quality.” [Plain Dealer, 3/11/2013]

National Institute for Early Education: Ohio Has Low Standards for Childhood Education: “Ohio met an additional benchmark this year by requiring site visits for quality monitoring, though it remains at the bottom in terms of standards. It permits up 28 children in a class while teachers need have no more than an associate’s degree…At the other end of the spectrum, five states met fewer than half of the 10 [quality education] benchmarks—California and Vermont met four; Florida and Ohio met three; and Texas met only two benchmarks.” [National Institute for Early Education Research, 2012]

Financial Aid is Down, Tuition is Up, and Ohio’s Budget Spending on Higher Education Hits Fifteen Year Low: “Ohio’s insufficient investment in preschool is mirrored by its spending on higher education. In fiscal 2015, which begins July 1, 9.9 percent of the state budget will be allocated to higher education funding — the first time that figure has dropped below 10 percent in at least 40 years. Despite the colossal increase in the cost of a college education, Ohio’s general fund budget will spend less money on higher education in fiscal 2015 than it did in fiscal 2000. Meanwhile, many of Ohio’s young people are priced out of the higher education marketplace, while others are saddled with unconscionable debt that takes decades to repay.” [Plain Dealer, 3/28/2014]