COLUMBUS, OH (WLIO) - Ohio's governor is looking to increase the reading level and technical education for students in the state in 2024.
Governor Mike DeWine says that one-third of students in the third grade are not reading up to that level. So, he is trying to get the program "The Science of Reading" into every school district across the state. Last March, DeWine and his wife Fran visited Cridersville Elementary to see the phonics-based program in action. The school districts that have used the program are seeing improvements in their reading scores.
"We now know based on science what works. It's phonics, it's sounding words out. Very, very important and that is going to make a big big difference," says DeWine. "If you look at education, the key to anything is reading. If you want to do science or if you want to do history. Whatever your field is, you got to be able to know how to read."
The state is also investing in career centers around the state, to improve technical education to meet the growing needs of current and new companies that are moving to the Buckeye State.
"Last year we asked the legislature for $300 million to get out to these schools so they can expand and also so they can have the most modern equipment," adds DeWine. "So, again, it focusing on jobs, the way you focus on jobs is by educating our young people. We can't lose anybody, we need to have everybody in the game and that's how we do it."
DeWine also says that over 60% of the kids from birth to five years old have signed up to get free books from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
