Youngstown Schools' CEO Wins Praise for His First Steps

by M.L. Schultze

The law that engineered the state takeover of Youngstown schools remains controversial, but the biggest move under the law so far is not.

At the urging of Gov. John Kasich, GOP lawmakers rushed through the bill a year ago that gives sweeping powers to a state-controlled board and the CEO it selects. Last week, Krish Mohip formally became that CEO. And Kasich says he’s thrilled.

“We now have brought someone in to run those schools who has incredible experience in turning schools around in the inner city of Chicago. It’s great,” the governor says.

Joe Schiavoni, the Democratic state senator whose district includes Youngstown, is also pleased with what he’s seen so far.

“He seems like a guy who is really in it for the right reasons. He said we’re not going to fire our way out of this. He said it’s a lazy approach to turn public schools into charter schools and think that’s going to be the solution,” says Schiavoni.

But he says he remains concerned about the law itself, including that more community input is not built into it.