School districts and communities are working on creating plans to improve student success and address the disrupted learning created by the COVID-19 pandemic. These plans could include a range of changes such as longer school years and additional tutoring, which could put a strain on teachers.
Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) announced Tuesday that every school district will be expected to submit plans that address the academic hurdles that have come with the pandemic.
These plans are expected to be detailed toward each individual student, with input from parents, teachers, and administrators.
Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, says these individualized plans for students need to take resources into account.
"Both teachers and educational support staff across the state have never been more stressed out than they are right now because they've been working so hard through very challenging circumstances to meet the needs of students. But there is a commitment to student success and we have to make sure that at the local level, plans are in place that are going to best the resources and the people with the needs of the students," DiMauro said.
DeWine says these plans will be created through conversations on the local level, with $2 billion of federal funds available to help.
Along with strategies that address student achievements in a more direct way, such as longer school days and tutoring, the plans can also tackle other factors that impact a student's life, such as mental health services.
DeWine's proposed state budget seeks to add $1.1 million into the education fund that addresses these programs, which are known as wraparound services.
The school district education plans must be submitted to the state by April 1.
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