While Gov. Ted Strickland shared scripted talking points, those who gathered Thursday, Nov. 20, for Strickland's Conversation on Education spoke off the cuff, making for a lively 90-minute discussion on school funding reform.

For the next month, Strickland plans to visit cities throughout the state to glean school funding ideas before he introduces his education reform and school funding proposal in 2009.

Columbus was the first of six stops the governor will make on his tour of the state. Strickland held similar forums that focused on his six principles for education reform earlier this year.

'So far behind'

During his Columbus visit, Strickland volleyed questions at the crowd for much of the night, creating a town hall feel.

More than 100 educators, parents and administrators from throughout the region gathered inside Battelle Studio at COSI for the event, which was televised live and broadcast over the Internet.

Teachers and school board members from Columbus and Westerville schools as well as superintendents from Hilliard, Grandview Heights and New Albany were just a few of those who waited for an hour or more for the event to begin.

Among other questions, Strickland asked if it was worth it to invest in all-day kindergarten and in longer school days and years, even if it meant it would cost schools more.

Charlie Wilson, a Worthington school board member, said the cost is worth the outcome and universal all-day kindergarten and early childhood education is a must.

"I don't see how we can expect our students to compete with kids (from around the world) if there are students here who are going into ... first grade ... who still can't handle a glue stick ... (who) don't know how to handle a pencil correctly. These kids are so far behind," said Wilson.

Brookhaven High School teacher Phil Hayes spoke out about the need for more classroom time, prompting the audience to clap and cheer.

"I'm here to help kids. I want longer days. I want a year-round calendar. I need that to get them ready for that state test," said Hayes.

"We lost four days because of the great windstorm of 2008. The (Ohio Graduation Test) isn't getting four days farther away. It's getting closer and I have to get them ready ... just like everyone else in state."

Financial disparities

The disparities in financial resources across the state aren't fair and need to be addressed, Wilson said.

When it comes to the distribution of state and local funding, "We've got to adopt the mentality in this state that every kid matters," Wilson said.

"We have to make a commitment to making sure ... that they get a high-quality, world-class education to enable that child to compete in a globalized economy and not spend time in our correctional institutions."

The state's share in school funding has to increase from its current 52 percent to address the disparities, several in the audience agreed. School districts are responsible for 48 percent of school funding, under the current formula.

The state's funding formula already has been deemed unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court for over-reliance on property tax revenue four times, one audience member pointed out.

Plus, districts have to approach residents with ballot issues just to maintain daily operations, which takes time away from district employees, said Delaware schools Treasurer Christine Blue.

Funding reform has to start with figuring out what it actually costs to educate each child and then determining how funding will be distributed, said Ernie Strawser, treasurer of Westfall Local School District and past president of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials.

The state's approach to charter school funding is one factor in why districts struggle, he added.

"We started down the road of community schools without a plan. ... All you have to do is look at each district's school funding formula to see how it has weakened our finances," said Strawser.

"We took a system that was already unconstitutional and inadequate and then started taking money off to fund another system."

How do we adjust for that? Strawser asked.

Unanswered questions

While Strickland was short on answers and continually redirected the audience to answer rather than ask questions, Strawser wasn't the only audience who voiced questions.

Janet Davis, president of Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, asked Strickland about weighted funding for districts with considerable English as a Second Language student populations.

Francie Nolan, supervisor of Columbus schools' gifted and talented program, asked about a funded mandate to serve, not just identify, gifted students.

An employee of an area charter school said charters suffer from criticism, a lack of support and don't have access to school levies or facilities funding from the state. She asked Strickland what his plans were for helping students in successful charter schools.

"I think that's probably a legitimate area for very intense discussion," Strickland said in response, but pointed back to his charge to public schools.

"My constitutional responsibility is for public school oversight because that what I have authority and control over," he said.

"Our public schools ... are mandated to have an appropriate education for all of our children."

Public schools often can't deliver that appropriate education because of the unstable funding mechanism, he said.

"Even as we may disagree about to the path to take, I think most can agree on the the destination we hope to reach and that's an education system that gives every child the opportunity to succeed and an education system that lets our taxpayers know exactly what their dollars are being spent on," Strickland said at the end of the event.

The evening's conversation was a "step in the right direction," he said.

Those interested can keep up on the conversations that unfold in other cities at the Web site conversationoneducation.org.