Recordpub.com - Strickland visits Portage

By Diane Smith

Record-Courier staff writer

Gov. Ted Strickland made an appearance in Brimfield Thursday, where he touted the high-tech work at Kent Displays, and plugged the state’s new education program.

Strickland toured the company on Portage Boulevard, which develops and manufactures liquid crystal technology. After touring the plant, the governor joked that he had “a third grade understanding” of all the company does.

He praised the company’s e-tablet, which company CEO Albert Green said was manufactured by the firm and is being sold in China.

“We like that a lot,” Strickland said. “This partnership is a perfect example of what should be happening throughout our university system. It’s the only thing that’s going to get us through these difficult economic times, through a period of recession and on to recovery.”

Earlier this week, Strickland had announced that the state’s Third Frontier Commission was awarding grants to Kent Displays and seven other companies. The firm is set to receive $4.9 million to manufacture and market the world’s first color electronic skin for mobile products such as cell phones and MP3 players. The reflective skin is designed to change the color of mobile devices without draining the battery.

Strickland said the Ohio House of Representatives had approved the bi-annual budget Wednesday night, which implements changes to K-12 education that he said are “unprecedented” in a time when many states are cutting back on education.

The program, he said, would end the state’s current unconstitutional method of school funding and replace it with a new model that has been praised throughout the state.

He said the new program will lengthen the school year to 200 days, implement new licensing requirements for teachers, and abandon the Ohio Graduation Test. In its place would be multiple tests of intelligence, including requiring all seniors to take the ACT, take regular tests, participate in a service project and complete some type of project that shows off what they have learned.

“When we have third and fourth graders developing anxiety disorders because they’re afraid they’re not going to pass the state test, I think that indicates something is wrong,” he said. “I think we fell in love with tests.”

He said the reforms will be phased in over time with funding available to districts. Districts would be held accountable not only by a statewide report card, but a fiscal report card showing parents how districts spend money.

He said tuition freezes for state universities would be continue for a third year, and for a fourth year on community colleges, branch campuses and technical schools. All other universities would be limited to a 5 percent maximum tuition increase.

“We are doing that because we know that it is essential to keep higher education affordable for our students,” he said.

A student in the audience pointed out that although tuition had been frozen, room and board has increased. Strickland told the student that there was only so much the state could control, and pointed out that before the tuition freezes, Ohio students had faced 10 consecutive years of tuition hikes averaging 9 percent.