EDUCATORS UNION WANTS TO DELAY 10TH-GRADE TEST

[Sean Obrien <sobrien@columbus.rr.com>]

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OHIO FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

EDUCATORS UNION WANTS TO DELAY 10TH-GRADE TEST

Published: Saturday, March 27, 2004

NEWS 02C

Associated Press

TOLEDO (AP) -- Delegates at the convention for the state's second-largest
teachers union unanimously endorsed a resolution yesterday asking the state
to postpone the implementation of the 10th-grade graduation test by two
years.

About 250 delegates to the Ohio Federation of Teachers convention also voted
for a moratorium on opening new charter schools, which are privately
operated but funded with state money, said Tom Mooney, the group's
president.



The union represents about 20,000 teachers and other school employees
statewide.

Delaying the test, which students must pass to graduate beginning with the
class of 2007, will allow teachers and students to better understand
curriculum changes that the legislature passed in 2001-02, Mooney said.

"While we support a standards-based system, you . . . have to really retool
your teaching in order to teach to these standards,'' he said. "They clearly
have not had time to get there.''

Dottie Howe, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Education, said the
agency opposes a delay.

"We do believe the schedule we're on now is adequate,'' Howe said. "We
understand their concerns but still believe the timeline is on target.''

The Ohio Education Association, with 130,000 teachers, is neutral on the
issue, spokeswoman Michele Prater said.

The Ohio Federation of Teachers believes no new charter schools should open
until the state finds a "system for sponsoring and monitoring charter
schools which ensures that the interests of students and taxpayers are
protected,'' Mooney said.

Howe said the number of charter schools has grown by about 70 percent, to
179, in the past year.


Illustration: Photo appeared in newspaper, not in the archive.

Photo caption: Ohio's teachers haven't had enough time to adapt to
curriculum changes, union President Tom Mooney said.


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