The Strickland spin

From the Strickland campaign:

Strickland Calls For Strengthening Public Education, Lowering Tuition Costs In Second Gubernatorial Debate

Columbus, Ohio - In the second Ohio gubernatorial debate in Cleveland today, Congressman Ted Strickland highlighted his comprehensive education plan to Turnaround Ohio and pledged to work with the state legislature to once and for all fix the unconstitutional school funding system that has burdened local property owners.

Strickland said Ohio's best economic growth strategy was a highly educated and skilled workforce that studies show are the best indicator of growing economies. Beginning in pre-school and continuing through adult education programs, Strickland laid out steps to strengthen education and access at every level.

"Ted laid out a comprehensive and responsible plan to turnaround Ohio's education system, and every dollar is accounted for," said Strickland for Governor spokesman Keith Dailey. "We heard soundbites, not substance from Ken Blackwell today. Ohioans are tired of gimmicks and Ken Blackwell represents more of the same Republican leadership that has failed our state."

Strickland laid out his plan to expand access to early learning and early care for 3 and 4-year olds, when research shows that spending $1 yields at least $1.62 return on investment by creating more educated and skilled workers. He also discussed plans to strengthen teacher training by expanding access to national board certification, making tuition more affordable and predictable, and providing worker training incentives for companies that create jobs.

In contrast to Strickland's comprehensive plan to Turnaround Ohio, Republican Ken Blackwell offered hollow proposals. His flagship 65-cent education plan has been panned by even his fellow Republicans. Former George W. Bush Education Secretary Rod Paige called it "one of the worst ideas in education" and Chester Finn Jr., an education official under President Ronald Reagan has called it a "gimmick."

While Strickland emphasized universal access to high-quality public education, Blackwell called for expanding charter schools, even though half of them are failing, many lack oversight and accountability and they drain $500 million a year out of our public school system. In fact, one of Blackwell's largest donors, David Brennan, received more than $100 million in taxpayer money last year to operate mostly failing schools.

And even as higher education funding has gone down and tuitions have skyrocketed, Blackwell's higher education plan would offer vouchers that would drain money out of our public research institutions and raise tuitions even higher. In the first year after such a scheme was tried in Colorado, tuitions rose an average of 19 percent.

Despite his transparent attempts to separate himself, it's clear that Ken Blackwell represents a continuation of the failed Republican leadership in Columbus over the last 16 years.