COLUMBUS, OH (WLIO) - Governor Mike DeWine talked to Your News Now about the recent attempted to reduce the power of the state board of education by Ohio lawmakers. The bill passed the Ohio Senate and would have given a governor the power to appoint a director of education, instead of the board picking a superintendent for the state. The director would be the authority on curriculum, and other educational decisions in the state. The Ohio House did not pass the bill before the session ended in December, and it will need to be reintroduced in the new session starting in January if it will be come law in the state.
“I think a lot of people have looked at this and said look the system just doesn’t make sense,” says DeWine. “So, the legislature had the idea to change that. It wasn’t my idea to make the change. But when people ask me a about it, look I am happy to take on the responsibility of education and again people need to know where the buck is going to stop and it should stop with the governor.”
Ohio State President Kristina Johnson announced her resignation less than three years at the helm of one of the nation's largest public universities. DeWine says being president of OSU is a tough job, and the university’s board of trustees need to work together to find the right person.
“It is the most important decision that a trustee will ever make,” adds DeWine. “And that is picking the president. I have said to the trustees, all of you need to be involved with this search, all of you need to be involved with making the decision of who the next president is going to be. Don’t put this off on some subcommittee and then let them come back with one choice. You know, everyone needs to be involved.”
Johnson will leave the position in may.
