John Kasich’s Education Record: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

John Kasich’s Education Record: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

March 22 Correction: The initial article mentioned that the mayor of Cleveland gained control of the city’s schools in 2012, when in fact mayoral control was implemented in 1998. In 2012, the mayor was granted additional control over funding for charter schools, teacher merit pay, performance-based layoffs, and longer school days.

Out of the five remaining candidates for president, Ohio Governor John Kasich appears to have the most extensive, albeit contradictory, record in K-12 education.

Although he initially supported Common Core, Kasich later discontinued the aligned tests that many other states had adopted. Despite stating his desire to allocate more funding to impoverished school districts, he has not proven successful in doing so. While he oversaw a charter school system that received criticism (before ultimately signing legislation to reform it last year), he paradoxically supported the expansion of charters in Cleveland and Youngstown as a means to turn around struggling school districts. Kasich discussed his education priorities and accomplishments in great detail during an interview with in August of last year.

So what should we make of John Kasich’s education record in Ohio over the past seven years, especially considering the limited success of many initiatives he proposed or supported? Let’s examine the evidence:

The Positive: Kasich exhibits an understanding of and support for the Common Core standards.

Unlike his Republican opponents, Kasich demonstrates knowledge of what the Common Core truly entails, dispelling misconceptions about it being a federal takeover of education. As governor, he oversaw the implementation of these new standards and defended them against attempts to repeal. Even as a presidential candidate, he consistently advocates for higher standards both on the campaign trail and in debates. However, Kasich did approve the abandonment of the Common Core-aligned PARCC tests after a troubled rollout that included numerous technical difficulties. Research suggests that these newer tests are better aligned with the Common Core standards compared to previous exams.

The Negative: Funding for Ohio schools became less equitable under Kasich’s leadership.

Between 2008 and 2014, state-provided funding for schools in Ohio saw a decrease of approximately two percent in real, per-pupil dollars after adjusting for inflation. It is worth noting that during this time, Ohio was not alone in reducing school funding, as the majority of states also made similar cuts. However, compared to other states, Ohio made less significant reductions. While a Rutgers report commends Ohio for its equitable distribution of school funding and the allocation of a substantial portion of GDP to education, the state has slipped slightly in both measures from 2009 to 2013. In his 2015 budget, Kasich advocated for more funding to be directed towards impoverished school districts, which garnered criticism from fellow Republicans labeling him as a modern-day "Robin Hood." Ultimately, most of Kasich’s proposed funding changes were not included in the final budget. Research suggests that increased investment in schools generally leads to improved outcomes, especially for students living in poverty.

The Concerning: Kasich’s efforts to address Ohio’s underperforming charter schools.

A vocal proponent of school choice, Kasich has overseen a charter school system in Ohio that has faced extensive criticism due to scandal and mediocre performance.

Charter schools in Ohio were established in 1997, predating Kasich’s governorship. During his tenure, the number of charters increased from just over 300 to more than 400. However, the overall quality of these schools has remained relatively poor, as indicated by a Stanford study. The study found that charter schools’ performance in 2013 was almost identical to that in 2009, with both cases yielding worse results in reading and math compared to traditional public schools.

Efforts to improve charter schools faced setbacks in early 2015 when the Cleveland Plain Dealer exposed illegal alterations to the state’s system for grading charter authorizers. Low grades were removed from online charters, which were found to be particularly ineffective in raising student achievement. Prominent operators of controversial for-profit and generally ineffective charters have made significant campaign contributions to Republicans in the state, including Kasich himself.

This scandal led to the resignation of Dave Hansen, the state’s school choice director, who also happens to be Kasich’s presidential campaign manager’s husband. It should be noted that Hansen worked for the Ohio Department of Education, an entity overseen by the state superintendent appointed by the state Board of Education. As governor, Kasich names eight out of the 19 board members, but there is no evidence to suggest he was aware of Hansen’s attempts to manipulate grades.

Verdict is in: Kasich’s decision to rescue schools in Cleveland and Youngstown

During a Republican debate this month, Kasich stated, "[Detroit] is not much different from what happened in Cleveland, Ohio, where the African-American Democrat mayor, the union, and business leaders approached me and asked, ‘Would you assist us in passing legislation to truly create a CEO environment so that we can take charge of the schools?’… It worked wonderfully. Cleveland is making a comeback. The Cleveland schools are improving drastically due to a major overhaul."

Kasich was referring to a law he signed in 2012, which received support from the Democratic mayor, numerous local lawmakers, and the Cleveland Teachers Union. However, after the debate, the union president branded Kasich’s claim that the union sought his help as an "outright falsehood."

The legislation increased the authority of Cleveland’s mayor to fund charter schools, minimize reliance on seniority during teacher layoffs, introduce performance-based pay for teachers, and allow for longer school days.

Assessing the effectiveness of the plan is challenging. The city has historically had some of the lowest test scores in the state and nation, although there have been some improvements in recent years. However, it is unclear whether these improvements are a result of Kasich’s recent reforms.

Unlike most of the state, Cleveland’s charter schools marginally outperform district schools. There is also evidence that reforming seniority-based layoffs can enhance student achievement, and some research suggests that performance pay may have a similar effect, although the findings are more mixed.

Kasich has also supported significant changes in Youngstown, although these have been more contentious and less cooperative. In an attempt to target the predominantly low-income district, Kasich hastily signed a bill last year that granted the state authority to take over districts labeled as "failing" and substantially expand charter schools in such cities. Kasich reportedly expressed his desire to convert the entire Youngstown school system to charters during private discussions. The school district filed a lawsuit to prevent the takeover, but it was rejected by a judge.

State takeovers have had variable success in improving student achievement. It does not appear that Youngstown’s charter schools outperform the city’s district schools.

Unlike the Cleveland plan, local lawmakers have been among the primary opponents of the Youngstown takeover. State Senator Joe Schiavoni stated that the effort could "terminate public education."

At Education Summit last year, Kasich drew a contrast between Cleveland and Youngstown schools, noting that the former was making progress whereas the latter was not. He said, "The Youngstown schools have been in a state of failure for nine years. And I have been warning the people in Youngstown that this is unacceptable."