John Kasich refused to meet with a large group of people from the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA), Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA), and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO).  He finally agreed to meet with the executive directors, officers and lobbyists of the organizations.  He also refused to come to the OSBA office to meet.  We had to go to his campaign headquarters in downtown Columbus .  The room was hot and crowded.  The first gentleman from OASBO introduced himself, his school district and said that he was also from OASBO.  John asked what OASBO was, so he was told the full name.  John told him it was a dumb or stupid name and they should think about changing it.

Rick Lewis , OSBA's executive director, started with a brief intro which John interrupted telling him that we didn't have time for that and that we just needed to get on with it.  He did tell us up front that he supported vouchers.  While one of the treasurers was explaining some of the difficulties we have with vouchers, John was checking email messages on his phone.  He ordered the fan to be turned off because he couldn't hear, ordered one of his campaign staff to bring him water and on a couple of occasions ordered the people in the adjoining room to leave the door open.  He was rude.

Mr. Kasich mentioned stastics from the Brookings Institute report that came out in February.  The report lists Ohio as 47th in classroom expenditures.  We have the unpublished study that was commissioned by them that resulted in that statistic.  We have a group looking at the research to see how that was determined since US Census Data lists us as 26th or 27th.  He also kept talking about Youngstown that spends $13,000 to educate a child and only $7,000 goes into classroom instruction.  He was unable to tell us what was included in classroom instruction. ie - Did it include library services, reading specialists, speech & hearing?  He wants to get rid of textbooks and do more online.  He wants to cut administrators.  

John talked about Denver and Colorado Springs where items within negotiated agreements could be waived if 60% of the members voted to do so. He also told us that his daughters go to Worthington Christian School .  He hired a 4th grade teacher that he respects to tutor them in math this summer, just to see what kind of an education they were receiving.  They were doing okay in most things; there were a few areas where they were behind.  (I wanted to tell him that if they were in the public schools, they might not be behind in anything.  He lives in the Westerville School District .)   

When asked about cutting the income tax, he replied that he would eliminate it as he reduced government.  He gave Genoa Township as an example.  He said that they employed 28 policemen and the last time that there was a crime in the township, one squirrel stole a nut from another one and ran up a tree.  There is no need for that many police; he'd cut them.  (Apparently he doesn't see having police as a deterrent.)   

On the other hand, we had a delightful meeting with Governor Strickland.  He was more than willing to meet in a large group, but agreed to meet with a smaller group and came to the OSBA office at 8050 N. High  Street .  We had his undivided attention for more than an hour.  He answered all of our questions, never once interrupting anyone.

I have attached The Link, an OSBA publication, which covers more of the substance of the two meetings and, of course, is more politically correct.  You can see that if you support education, Ted Strickland is the choice for Governor.

Also, OSBA sent out a questionnaire to both candidates.  Governor Strickland returned his by the deadline.  John Kasich's committee was contacted several times and OSBA was finally told that he would only answer selected questions.  He sent NOTHING back.  We went to press without anything from him.

PLEASE VOTE early or on November 2.  The future of public education depends on it.

Now I don't necessarily agree with everything that these school groups stand for, but I can tell you from firsthand experience that of all of the education associations, these folks have the most common sense and are the most reasonable.  They aren't the Ohio Federation of Teachers or the Ohio Education Association, they represent school board members and administrators.  Most Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly work closely with them all the time.  

But even that doesn't matter.  John Kasich is running for Governor and he could at least be polite and respectful to the folks that want to meet with him. 

The simple fact is that he hasn't matured, he hasn't mellowed, and he's still the same jerk that threw a cup of coffee on my friend from Iowa.  He certainly shouldn't be elected to lead this great state.