WKSU News: Strickland's proposal for longer school year could push teachers away

Friday, January 30, 2009 Strickland's proposal for longer school year could push teachers away by WKSU's STATEHOUSE CORRESPONDENT BILL COHEN	Reporter Bill Cohen

Governor Ted Strickland is defending his proposal to lengthen the school day and add 20 days to the school year. He says, if some teachers don't like the idea of teaching more, he'd just as soon not have them in Ohio. "If a teacher says I'm going to teach in Kentucky instead of Ohio because the school day or school year is longer in Ohio, I would say to them I hope you enjoy Lexington or Louisville or Hazard or wherever you go," Strickland said. His proposal at this point is just that, a proposal. To take effect, it needs to get an okay from state lawmakers.

Listener Comments:

Brunswick routinely rated excellant this year given new honor of with distinction. This was not done with more money from the state and was not done with more time out of my childrens life.Call your representatives say no to more money and no to more schooling for already over stressed children.

Posted by: Steve (Brunswick) on March 30, 2009 4:29PM

My oldest child was a National Commended Scholar, graduated Summa Cum Laude from college and has a CPA. My second child was a National Merit Finalist, pre-accepted to Medical School as a high school senior and is due to graduate a year earlier from medical school. They both graduated from an Ohio public school. They DID NOT need the extra 20 years.

Strickland, are you admitting that you are an ill-prepared governor because YOU did not go an extra 20 days per year?

Posted by: Susan (Brecksville) on March 28, 2009 5:42PM

As a student at oak hills high school i think that making the school year longer isn't such a bad ideal, but thats only if they add like 2 days a year so people can get use to it. you cant throw something like this in to schools at once.

Posted by: jeremiah (cincinnati ohio) on March 16, 2009 11:56AM

So Jim, would you work 10% more every year for no pay raise (and that's not including the increase in time worked if the school day length is also increased)? Would you want to have to take on more debt in college and have to go through residency (like a doctor) and then make teachers' wages? What Strickland's plan is going to do is scare good teachers away from the state. Honestly, you'd have to be near insane to plan on teaching in Ohio if this plan goes through. In southern states, you don't even need a degree in education, you can just take some classes or pass a test to get into the teaching field.

Posted by: Alexandra (Columbus, OH) on March 10, 2009 2:38PM

I think that lengthening the school year is a ridiculous Idea! Kids will only progress in getting fatter! I cant be sitting around all ay long for an even longer amount of the year! There's already plenty of education now! Kids need to be outside more, that what they need! They can't be locked inside a school, listening to boring teachers for a longer amount of year! We need AIR! And we have enough education!

Posted by: Olivia (Maine) on March 6, 2009 10:35AM

i think as a student that what governor tedd is doing is fine if he adds a few days ever year {2} but he decides to add 20 days on in one year i think that most schools would go bankrupt because thats 20 extra days of buses and faculity

Posted by: ian (BRUNSWICK,OH) on February 27, 2009 9:23PM

i think the governor ought to get into the school and see how messed up the people who voted for him think of extra school days !
they arent too happy about it.
cuts to the health and well being of our kids will not be tolerated.
if my child gets hurt in school and DOES NOT have a qualified nurse there will be hell to pay.
no matter how you cut it when our kids are at the school they are to be protected and taken care of by the school.
he had better rethink the health and well being of our children when they are there and not worry about the extra 20 days........
what are you going to have to pay the teachers ?
what about the 2 weeks of adandoned ohio amusement parks ?
think about millions going down the toilet for more time in the classrooms.
summer jobs , vacations , flex time , parents pushed to the brink of insanity.

Posted by: Candace (Youngstown Ohio) on February 25, 2009 12:12PM

I totally agree with alexa. Perhaps our young people are suffering today because of all this stress put on them during their education!

Posted by: Mina (Nebraska) on February 22, 2009 8:34PM

As a student,I feel that lengthening the school year is a terrible idea. It's not just because I'm a kid. It is because lengthening the school year would cause so much harm! It would reduce family time and it would stress kids out. Besides most people only want to lengthen the school year because they want to raise test scores,believing that those tests really show how smart a student is! Those tests don't show what students know about various other subjects or about students' creative skills. In my opinion we should get rid of testing altogether! If we lengthen the school year it would only cause further damage to a student's education. Newsflash:Students learn outside of school too!

Posted by: Carolyn (California) on February 22, 2009 8:32PM

My children are both A students I feel the education they are receiving at with the current amount of days is more than sufficient.
My kids work on their homework from the time they come home until bed and theres not much time in between to "be kids".........
Summer vacation is something our entire family looks forward too to get a breather.
My son is a type 1 diabetic and the state thinks they will save money via getting rid of our fine nurses ? Now lengthening the time they have to be there ?
Well my childs sanity and safety is my main priority and if we put much more pressure via cuts because of money then pressure for more more more out of kids (im talking 5-7 graders) something will have to give and its not going to be pretty.......think about that !
HEALTH SANITY of our CHILDREN ~ whats that worth to you people ?
Mr Tom DelFratte
Hubbard Ohio

Posted by: Tom DelFratte (Hubbard , Ohio) on February 19, 2009 12:49PM

I disagree with Strickland, and do not want the state taking our kids for an extra 20 days (one month with weekends). Kids need recreation, sports, vacation and time with their families. It seems that "Red Ted" feels that out kids shoudl be raised by the state too. Work on improving the quality of the time spent in school, not the quantity.

Posted by: Dan (Cleveland) on February 19, 2009 12:01AM

After trying to read and understand young Kasey's comment, I agree the school year should be lengthened. But I guess on the internet, spelling and grammar don't count.

Posted by: Kelly (Cleveland) on February 13, 2009 12:54PM

Governor im with you all the way!

Posted by: alexa (cincinnati) on February 9, 2009 9:25PM

im with you all the way!!!

Posted by: alexa (ohio) on February 9, 2009 9:24PM

I think the school year needs to be shortened, NOT lengthened! We start teaching kids in kindergarten science and such! What happened to playing house and coloring in kindergarten???? And we wonder what is wrong with today's youth! We make them grow up beyond their years. They just can't be 5 and carefree anymore! We put the stress of learning at too early an age already! Why not just make them robots and have year round school! Yeah I'm sure that would do wonders for today's youth! No wonder so many of them act out in crime, when we put the stress of adulthood on them way, way, too early! Let our kids be kids again!

Posted by: Veronica (North Royalton) on February 6, 2009 9:27AM

If you think the school year should not be extended 20 days then please sign my petition. Thanks!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ohio-governor-ted-strickland-trying-to-add-20-extra-days-to-the-school-year

Posted by: Tim (Fremont, Ohio) on February 4, 2009 1:24PM

I think that if you make the school year longer test scores are just going to go down because kids don't like to be at school in the first place. Then they never learn anything because we always cheat just to get by

Okey yes there are some good things like that we mite learn more but come on are they truely going to listen to the teacher because my class all we do is talk and conplane about test, Then we got our social life and yes you learn to balnce it but in that social life all we try to do is talk baout hot guys or girls or poeple we hate. AND HONESTLY THE ONLY REASON I LIKE SOME KIDS GO TO SCHOOL IS BECAUSE THERE SOURCE ORTHEYWANT TO BE WITHTHERE FRIEND TO GOSPIP ABOUT NOT LEARN.

SO MAKE THE SCHOOL YEAR LONGER SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

BY THE WAY IF YOU PUT KIDS IN SCHOOL DURING THE TIME THEY WOULD BE AT CAMPS HAVING FUN AND LEARNING, LIKE IF BONCEING A BALL YOU BE LEARNING THE MASS OF THAT BALL. AND THEN THE PEOPLE RUNNING THE CAMPS WOULDLOSS MONEY WITCH WOULDMAKE THE ECONOME WORST THEN IT IS.

AS I SAID BEFORE SEE WAHT HAPPENS IF YOU MAKE THE SCHOOL YEARER JUST WAIT AND SEE. YOU WILL WANT TO CHANGE IT BACK AND YOU WON'TBE ABLE TO GOVERNOR
STRICKLAND'S
YOU WILL SEE

Posted by: Kasey ( ohio) on February 3, 2009 7:56PM

This is a terrible idea. Talk about more state control over individuals lives! My son's school does not have air conditioning. Last June they turned all the lights off trying to make it cooler and kids were still getting sick from the heat. We already have to be back in town half way through August for schedule pick up and open house. Some kids don't get off the bus til after four, so lengthening the day wouldn't be good either. Where will school districts come up with the extra money to run the school four more weeks.
If it costs more money and causes hardship, you can believe it's a Democrat's idea of a "solution" to a non existance "problem". Back off our family time, comrade Strickland!

Posted by: Margaret Proulx (Defiance, Ohio 43512) on February 3, 2009 8:07AM

Governor Strickland doesn't get it. Testing is a big part of the problem with educating students in Ohio. Let's get rid of the ridiculous testing and teaching to the tests, get rid of the bad teachers and let the good teachers and their students show us what they can do. Then let's see if we need longer days, more days, all-day kindergarten, etc. (All of which will cost mountains of money that we don't have!) And by the way, if funding schools via property taxes is unconstitutional in Ohio, how does raising our property taxes fix the problem? Let's think about that, Mr. Strickland.

Posted by: S Timmerman (Cincinnati) on January 30, 2009 5:54PM

I respect and agree with the Governor's proposal. It's about time our children can get a better education in Ohio. The teachers are paid to teach. If they want to leave...FINE. There are so many young people DYING to get a job. A friend of mine has a degree to teach and subbed for 6 years before being given the right to work full time as a teacher in Salem, OH.
You GO Governor!

Posted by: Jim Kane (Niles, OH) on January 30, 2009 4:17PM

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