MOUNT VERNON — Gov. Bob Taft on Wednesday signed Senate Bill 311, which implements the Ohio Core initiative requiring a more demanding high school curriculum, starting with the graduating class of 2014. As previously reported, Ohio Core changes the composition of units required for graduation. It also mandates that schools formally integrate economics and financial literacy into the curriculum. The governor vetoed the language in the bill that would require the minimum school year to be calculated based upon hours, rather than days, of instruction.
Rep. Thom Collier said the Legislature, before passing the bill, considered hours of testimony from both proponents and opponents. He said the House delayed the implementation date to make sure there would be time to correlate the new curriculum requirements with the Ohio Graduation Test, and to give school districts more time to make adjustments in schedules and class offerings. Collier said the House also recognized the need to train teachers for additional math and science mandates, and doubled the teacher training funds available — $13.2 million in fiscal year 2007.
Dan Humphrey, Fredericktown superintendent, thinks the idea behind Ohio Core is good. He said helping children reach their highest potential has always been one of the district’s educational goals. Requiring everyone to take Algebra II, however, may not be educationally appropriate in Humphrey’s opinion. Besides students who go on to a four-year college after graduation, he said, we will also need skilled mechanics and laborers, with a lot of knowledge in their field, but who might not need Algebra to do their jobs. Another one of the disadvantages of the bill, Humphrey said, is finding additional quality teacher candidates to fill the anticipated position openings in high school math and science. He would advise anyone considering teaching as a career to consider a secondary education major.
East Knox Superintendent of Schools John Marschhausen is one of the educators who testified before the House of Representatives education committee. He also had the opportunity to sit with the governor on several occasions while the proposal was being drafted.
Marschhausen explained why he supported SB 311. “While I am concerned with the funding sources for the legislation I think it is a move in the right direction. We need to increase the focus in math and science to better prepare kids to be productive citizens in the future. We will be hearing a lot about STEM which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. This is going to be the key to our state's, and country's, ability to keep-up in a global economy.
“The Core will really force East Knox to hire an additional science and math teacher in the next several years. I am very thankful our taxpayers passed the bond issue in November because we will have the classroom space in two years to house these additional courses.
“The concern at a statewide level is both funding for additional teachers and the availability of qualified teachers in STEM areas. With this said, I am an optimist. I feel that the push is needed from the legislature for the education community to move in this direction. Without a push there would be no change, and we need to improve the education we are providing our students. ... With this legislation there will be a new focus, not only on the state standards, but on gifted and accelerated children as well.”