Ohio House Democratic Leader Wonders If Today is April Fool’s Day
Governor’s statements supporting public employees and teachers are laughable
COLUMBUS – The following is a statement from House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) on Governor Kasich’s statements regarding public employees and teachers. Governor Kasich today stated “public employees…work every day to ensure our state and local communities effectively provide essential services” and urged Ohioans to “thank them for their invaluable work they do each day.”
“Governor Kasich’s statements forced me to check my calendar, and much to my surprise today is not April Fool’s Day. Does he get the irony in them? While he’s putting out statements of praise, he and his Republican cronies are working to systematically destroy public employees and teachers through Senate Bill 5. So Governor Kasich, do you commend the police officer for doing his job well before or after you call him an ‘idiot’? Do you thank teachers and firefighters for the invaluable work before or after you slash their wages and benefits. Once I stop laughing at his audacity to actually put out these statements, I would like to remind the Governor that your actions speak louder than your words.”
Governor Kasich’s statements are attached.
KASICH ISSUES PROCLAMATION HONORING TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
Invites Teachers To Share Ideas For New Performance Pay System
COLUMBUS – Today Gov. John R. Kasich issued a proclamation honoring Ohio’s teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week and invited teachers to share their ideas for a new pay system that rewards and encourages performance, as called for in his FY2012-13 budget proposal, the Jobs Budget. Teachers can email their ideas to Kasich at teachers@governor.ohio.gov.
“Ohio has tens of thousands of outstanding teachers for whom education is more than a job—it’s a calling. I’m grateful for the work they do and I encourage every Ohioan to take time this week to thank an educator for their commitment to Ohio’s future. Recognizing those good efforts and incentivizing it is why I want to replace Ohio’s outdated pay system for teachers with one that rewards high performance. Currently, teachers are paid largely on the basis of how many years they’ve been on the job. That’s not fair because it fails to recognize the successes of Ohio’s highest-performing educators. I want to hear from those teachers who want a better way and who have ideas for how to get us there. I look forward to working with them to create a better way,” said Kasich.
Kasich announced that he would be seeking teachers’ ideas for a new pay system last week when he signed legislation making it possible for Teach for America teachers to work in Ohio. The program, which has been successful in other states, gives students access to qualified professionals with a range of experiences after they meet certain standards.
In addition to a new performance-based pay system, other education reforms proposed in Kasich’s Jobs Budget include expanding charter schools and school choice vouchers, encouraging schools to reduce overhead costs by sharing back-office functions, and giving parents the ability to take over failing schools and reconstitute them with oversight from the state.
A copy of Kasich’s Teacher Appreciation Week proclamation can be read here
KASICH THANKS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR SERVICE
Issues Proclamation in Honor of Public Service Appreciation Week
COLUMBUS – Today Gov. John R. Kasich issued a proclamation honoring May 1-7 as Public Service Appreciation Week, honoring Ohio’s thousands of public employees. Gov. Kasich made the following statement thanking Ohio’s public servants for their work:
“Public employees are community leaders and our neighbors who work every day to ensure that our state and local communities effectively provide essential services. Public employees make it possible for us to enjoy basic freedoms and rights we may too often overlook. They protect us, care for our most vulnerable, teach our children, and maintain our infrastructure to aid commerce and economic development throughout Ohio. This week I ask all Ohioans to reflect on all that our public employees do in our communities, and thank them for the invaluable work they do each day,” said Kasich.
View Gov. Kasich’s proclamation: here.
