Mike DeWine | Graphic by Monica Brutto | The Wright State Guardian
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine delivered an annual State of the State speech to the Ohio General Assembly in Columbus on Jan. 31, 2023. The focus of the speech was childhood and college education, job placement in the innovation and technology fields and mental health.
Education
DeWine highlighted the importance of the future of education, explaining the weight of this challenge.
“Our future is bright, but that future will be defined by how well we educate all our children and how we tear down the barriers to their success. We are challenged as never before, because at no time in our history has the full education of all our children been more important,” DeWine said.
According to a National Assessment of Educational Progress report, Ohio’s reading and math scores among fourth graders were slightly higher than the national average.
DeWine talked about expanding educational choices for Ohio children with increased funding for charter schools through scholarships. Dr. Lee Hannah, political science associate professor at Wright State University, talked about possible complications with this change.
“I think it's worth noting that many of [DeWine’s] education priorities are geared towards increasing school choice and supporting charter schools. In particular, increasing the income eligibility levels for EdChoice scholarships is likely to draw strong criticism from Democrats, who want to see increased funding for public schools, not vouchers going to families that might already be able to afford private education,” Hannah said.
While talking about college education, DeWine proposed a $5,000 scholarship to any student who graduates in the top 5% of a given class and attends an in-state college or university. Hannah agreed that this could help with enrollment.
“Wright State already offers a Green and Gold Scholarship for students earning 3.2 high school GPAs and above. Additional support from the state could definitely make WSU even more appealing to students who want a great education while limiting debt,” Hannah said.
Job placement
DeWine also discussed innovation in Ohio areas, including Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, commenting on the power of progress in these districts.
“They partner businesses with our colleges and universities to develop new STEM education talent, create tens of thousands of jobs and bring about new research, extraordinary technology and life-saving medical advancements,” DeWine said.
Hannah expressed the importance of STEM job placement in accordance with WSU with the understanding of a balanced college education.
“This is definitely a trend across universities,” Hannah said. “I think it's important that STEM education is paired with the liberal arts so that students have the technical skills but also have broader cultural, historical and political knowledge requisite to make informed and ethical decisions in STEM fields.”
Mental health
DeWine also mentioned the importance of mental health awareness.
“For the past year, I have talked a lot about mental health, but there was a time when no one wanted to talk about it, a time when it was easier to simply look the other way. My fellow Ohioans, that time is over,” DeWine said.
DeWine referenced President John F. Kennedy’s Community Mental Health Act of 1963 and admitted that governmental institutions have not fulfilled promises to aid mental health issues. DeWine said the new state budget will focus on treatment and counseling services.
The governor referenced the expansion of the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline, along with the increase of state and private psychiatric hospitals to help with mental health needs.
Hannah agreed about the importance of mental health and discussed what Wright State could do to help on the issue, including through involvement with the State of Ohio Action for Resiliency (SOAR) network.
“[SOAR] would support research and collaboration among doctors, counselors and social workers to improve mental health outcomes in the state. We certainly have faculty and programs here that could contribute to that program,” Hannah explained.
