Whether College or Trade, Common Sense Education is Key

Ohio must make sure that the next generation is left better off with an educational system that reaches out to every individual giving them every opportunity to achieve their goals. We must do better in planning for our kids' futures. The jobs of today require common sense education that empowers students, not holding them back with testing and rigid methods.

My campaign advocates for new approaches to primary and secondary education such as reduced testing, later starting times and renewed emphasis on languages and music. My plan also calls for much enhanced trade education as Ohio continues to experience a shortage of trained labor across the trades.

In order to help achieve Ohio's educational needs, the General Assembly must first reverse course by returning public funds to public schools and drastically reduce Ohio's out-of-control voucher system. School funding is now taken directly from Ohio's General Fund to pay for rich families to send their kids to rich schools. In other states doing this, it has put them deep in debt. Fix Ohio's school funding once and for all. Secondly, the proposed Bank of Ohio will have more than enough wherewithal to provide extremely low interest funding for student loans like the Bank of North Dakota has done for decades for North Dakotans.

Skilled Trades

Our Trade schools need to have expanded programs that include electrical and mechanical training on installation of new charging and fueling stations for future transportation needs. Electric, natural gas engines, compressors and pumps, steam turbines, power grid components all require specialized training.

Jobs of Tomorrow

Many communities still need carpenters, drivers, electricians, mechanics, pipefitters, plumbers and welders and we need to promote those skills by providing more grants for post-secondary education at colleges and technical schools.

Economic Transformation

Let’s start a new program for high school students and graduates who desire to work on the country’s economic transformation in exchange for wages and/or university credit. This could be a way of making college more affordable.

Private and public colleges and universities, research centers and laboratories are sprinkled generously throughout our country and attract students from all over the world. Yet how many can afford to attend the local college in their hometown?

Local Students Attend Locally

We need to provide for people to attend the school of their choice which may be just down the street from where they live. Given the fact that more and more people are engaged in online studies for post-secondary studies from out of state institutions, our invaluable brick and mortar institutions are at risk of falling attendance. A long-term work study program allied with colleges may be able to fill those seats up in the classrooms.