Candidate for Ohio Governor Pushes Summer School To Account for COVID Learning Loss
One candidate running for governor suggests that the state should implement a voluntary summer school program to address learning losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and state Senator Theresa Fedor, representing Toledo, held a press conference on Monday to assert that the state has a moral duty to fund summer school for students who choose to participate.
Cranley highlighted the DeRolph v. Ohio rulings, which declared that the state’s funding model for K-12 education was unequal. He argued that funding should have been a top priority for any governor, including Governor Mike DeWine.
However, due to studies revealing significant learning losses in subjects like reading and math since the pandemic forced the closure of schools and changed educational practices, additional measures need to be taken.
Cranley stated, "I believe that addressing the immense devastation that so many families have endured during COVID requires leadership."
Stephanie Siddens, Ohio’s interim superintendent of public instruction, testified before a state senate education committee at the beginning of 2022, highlighting the negative impact of the pandemic on education, including enrollment declines, increased absenteeism, and decreased proficiency in state testing.
Siddens stated in January, "Even before the pandemic, Ohio already had considerable achievement gaps, and these gaps have been further widened by the events of the past two years."
Fedor, who was also a former teacher, expressed her dismay at seeing teachers face the challenges of the pandemic while witnessing support being directed towards bills concerning topics like race education and bills similar to Florida’s "Don’t Say Gay" legislation.
Fedor stated, "As teachers witness their students struggle, my colleagues in the legislature sought to exacerbate the situation."
The plan put forward by Cranley and Fedor on Monday proposes a voluntary summer school program for students in grades K-12, whether they attend public or private schools. The program would offer free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch, as well as transportation.
Regarding the funding of the summer school program, education expert and former legislator Steve Dyer argued that the state has more than enough remaining federal COVID aid to cover the costs.
Dyer stated, "This is not about money; it’s about commitment."
Dyer cited federal reports that suggest the money leftover from pandemic aid distribution could fund summer school for a duration far exceeding six weeks. Additionally, if gubernatorial candidates fully support the Fair School Funding Plan, a comprehensive educational funding reform, the summer school program could become a permanent option for schools.
According to reports from the U.S. Department of Education regarding Ohio, the state has only utilized 21% of the total funds granted through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) for various COVID-related interventions, including assistance with chronic absenteeism and after-school care.
Furthermore, only 5.3% of the funds provided under the American Rescue Plan for education have been utilized by the state thus far, despite those funds being available until September 2024.
The implementation of summer school would not only benefit students who have fallen behind during the pandemic, but also the teachers who have supported these students. Offering this option would allow teachers to continue educating during the summer, although Cranley acknowledged that not all teachers would choose to work during that time.
Dyer mentioned that he personally knows teachers who take on side jobs during the summer and would prefer to get paid for teaching.
He remarked, "I believe teachers would prefer to do what they are trained to do instead of working in other industries."
The candidates emphasized that the summer school program is not mandatory, but they stressed the importance of helping Ohio’s students catch up to their grade levels.
Fedor stated, "It’s an optional program, but it needs to be available because if we do nothing, our students will fall further and further behind."
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