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Accountability in Ohio
Ohio is looking for ways to improve accountability in higher education, starting at the top: Being considered is a proposal wherein the governor will appoint the chancellor of the Ohio state system, thus making that individual more directly accountable than has previously been the case.
Debate is raging -- and ACTA president Anne Neal has weighed in with her support:
Contrary to the naysayers quoted in the recent Dispatch article "Plan for chancellor unwise, experts say," Gov. Ted Strickland and the General Assembly are on the right course for instituting more accountability in higher education.Having the chancellor report to the governor is essential if Ohio hopes to have a coherent educational vision for the state.
Although the governor appoints members of the Ohio Board of Regents, terms are staggered and each member of the board serves for nine years. Accordingly, it is often years before any one governor has a majority on the board.
Of course this is by design, theoretically to avoid "politicizing" the board. But in reality, the structure makes it far more difficult for any governor to implement a higher education agenda or make meaningful reforms.
The suggestion that having the chancellor report to the governor nullifies the board could not be further from the truth.
In many states, the governor appoints both the superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education, as well.
The fact that the two bodies work together may explain why primary and secondary reforms are far greater than anything we've seen in higher education thus far.
Anyone who suggests the proposed structure fails to produce significant results should take a look at Colorado.
Under virtually the same structure, the state has put into place a rigorous streamlined core curriculum, better preparation for teachers in primary and secondary schools and increased student access and success. With clear lines of reporting and control, Ohio taxpayers more readily can hold the governor accountable for outcomes in higher education. And given the challenges, isn't this exactly what is needed?
Congratulations to Ohio--and Governor Strickland--for attempting to establish procedurally reasonable mechanisms of accountability for its university system. That's something that ACTA has long recommended all states do.
Posted by acta online at February 13, 2007 09:27 AM
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