A New Kind of Policy Think Tank
by editor
For Immediate Release: May 12, 2011
Contact: Dale Butland, 614-783-5833
Columbus – Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus, released a new study today which finds that Ohio’s Electronic schools (“E-schools”) are “a disaster.” E-schools are a subset of “charter” or “community” schools that have made headlines this week.
The report, “Funding Failure; Coddling Contributors,” analyzes E-school performance ratings and student graduation rates, their costs compared to traditional schools, and the tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money E-school operators receive for running them. The report also highlights the extensive political contributions the state’s two most prominent E-school operators have made to Ohio legislators and state-wide office-holders.
Among the report’s most shocking findings are:
Said IO Communications Director Dale Butland:
“Ohio’s E-Schools are an outrageous taxpayer rip-off, a cruel hoax for many students and parents, and a textbook example of the “pay to play” culture that too often permeates state government.
“At a time when Ohio’s traditional schools are seeing unprecedented state cuts, most Ohioans have no idea how shockingly bad Ohio’s E-Schools are and how much state money is being funneled to the for-profit operators who run them.
“Gov. Kasich and his legislative allies loudly demand reform and accountability in traditional schools. But when it comes to E-Schools run by their biggest financial donors, they suddenly develop laryngitis. Their silence speaks volumes.”
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