Forum talks reform

Grantmakers hope to restructure educational system

By JENNIFER KOVACS Tribune Chronicle
HOWLAND — Area education, business and community leaders came together Monday morning to discuss how the educational system in Ohio can be restructured to better prepare students to compete in a global economy.

But by the end of the discussions, many were calling for completely ‘‘blowing up’’ that system rather than just tweaking it a bit.

‘‘It’s not simple. But it’s something we cannot walk away from,’’ George Espy, president of the Ohio Grantmakers Forum, said.

The group held the regional education initiative conversation with officials from Trumbull, Mahoning, Ashtabula and Columbiana counties over a light breakfast at the Avalon Inn Resort and Conference Center. OGF has held similar conferences around the state to gain insight from those who have concerns about the future of education and aims to share the information gained with the office of Gov. Ted Strickland.

Strickland is expected next year to complete his own plan for reform of education in Ohio.

Teaming with OGF on the initiative were The Ashtabula Foundation, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Conneaut Community Foundation, The Robert S. Morrison Foundation, The Raymond John Wean Foundation and the Youngstown Foundation.

With the majority of money raised by foundations being put toward education in Ohio, including more than $300 million last year, the reason for the gathering was a simple one.

‘‘Today we want to talk about education in our state — one of the greatest issues pressing us all,’’ Espy said.

Items discussed throughout the morning included attempts to find answers to two questions: What is the biggest single challenge facing education in the region today, and what policy changes or new practices at the state level would help the region respond to challenges?

Those challenges determined included the outdated educational system and lack of community engagement, while answers on the state level often came down to changing school funding as well as the responsibility that rests on local educators’ shoulders to make sure voices are heard by the state.

Ken Carano, former state legislator and current representative of the governor’s office, addressed the group as a politician, though he has well more than 30 years in education under his belt.

He advised not to muddy the waters in Columbus with too many good ideas, but rather decide upon one or two changes that local education leaders can agree to support.

A panel of education and business officials was brought together to address that very issue. Molly S. Seals, senior vice president of Humility of Mary Health Partners and a board member of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, said that what she sees in the health field is students preparing for the wrong jobs.

‘‘There’s a real mismatch,’’ Seals said.

William Mullane, a former principal of Warren G. Harding High School and current school improvement supervisor at Ashtabula County Educational Service Center, said that he is concerned with accountability falling on schools alone and urges community engagement.

‘‘We have taken away personal responsibility,’’ Mullane said.

David C. Sweet, president of Youngstown State University, reminded the group that good things are happening, too, such as high school students earning university credits in YSU’s own Early College program.

With plenty of challenges on hand, Youngstown City Schools Superintendent Wendy Webb offered some insight from the audience: ‘‘This is much harder than rocket science,’’ she said, explaining that blowing up the current educational system is one thing, but not rebuilding a mirror of what exists is the real hard part.

‘‘I think this is just the beginning. We’ve scratched the surface,’’ she said.



jkovacs@tribune-chronicle.com