Gov. Ted Strickland (D) • Feb. 6
Gov. Strickland would like to make every high school student who meets certain academic requirements eligible to spend the 12th grade in an Ohio public university, tuition-free. After that year in college, under the proposal he unveiled in his speech in the legislature, students would graduate with a high school diploma and advance to sophomore year in college. He also proposed expanding his control over K-12 education by creating a new director of the state department of education, to be appointed by the governor, who would oversee the department and the board of education. The board-appointed state superintendent of schools would remain, but in a more advisory role.
