Gov. John Kasich (R)
Date of Speech: Feb. 24
Gov. Kasich asked lawmakers in his State of the State speech to approve shifting $10 million in revenue from casino fees to support a new plan to encourage schools, parents, community organizations, and businesses to work together to mentor students.
The proposal, dubbed “Community Connectors,” would give local communities $3 for every $1 they contributed to the program.
“We can show [students] why learning matters,” Gov. Kasich said. “We can teach them about workplace culture. ... We can teach them about professional etiquette. We can help them appreciate how important values are to success and life.”
The first-term Republican, who faces a re-election test next fall, devoted much of his speech to economic issues. He touted improvement in the state’s budget and called for tax cuts that he argued would stimulate job growth. But he also floated a number of education ideas, including a plan to create alternative pathways to a high school diploma for students at risk of dropping out and a proposal to connect students with vocational education in earlier grades, such as in middle school.
Mr. Kasich also praised Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson for backing a broad and controversial series of changes to his city’s K-12 system, which included giving individual schools more autonomy. Those plans were backed by a law passed by the Ohio legislature. The governor pledged to work with Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman to make similar changes.
