As seen in the Canton Repository on 9/26/2026.
Parents and employees are expressing concerns about ongoing challenges in public
education and about the future of Ohio’s EdChoice scholarship program.
The education of K-12 students in Ohio is a critical issue. With some candidates and elected
officials advocating for an end to the program, its future is an important concern for
families, educators, and communities across the state.
As a university president, I am concerned about the education of students in Ohio — 85% of
our students are Ohio residents. Ohio’s EdChoice program has provided families with
exactly what it says: a choice.
It began in Cleveland more than 30 years ago as a lifeline for students trapped in failing
school districts with no way out. That first program of Cleveland scholarships survived a
challenge all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where, in 2002, the school voucher
program was affirmed as constitutional and is now common across the country.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly referred to as the Nation’s
Report Card, shows continuing, decades-long, declines in student math and reading
proficiency. In 2025, every single category went in the wrong direction. Ohio’s scores track
those national trends and, sadly, we rank 36th in the nation for public education quality.
We can, and must, do better.
What has made higher education in America the best in the world is more than a century of
institutional competition. For more than two decades, EdChoice has slowly introduced
competition into public education with parents, not government, choosing where their
children go to school.
When measured against falling public test scores, parents have a responsibility to insist that
their tax dollars be put toward better education rather than continuing to fund a worsening
system. Policies that oppose school choice oppose competition and better education for our
youth. We cannot abandon what we know will work to sustain what we know is failing.
Currently, nearly half the nation offers some form of voucher programs that permit parents
to direct their tax dollars to schools where their children will receive a better education —
regardless of the geographic boundaries and economic circumstances.
Ohio’s EdChoice program levels that playing field by allowing parents, the foremost
educators of their children, to choose the school that best meets the needs of their children.
As competition in primary and secondary education increases, we will see our schools
improve just as we have seen in higher education for the past 125 years.
EdChoice creates fairness for families and market competition that offers a better future for
Ohio. Competition forces all parties to improve and innovate to thrive in a crowded field.
Choice is central to American freedoms, which is why EdChoice continues to be the right
choice for America, Ohio, and locally here in Stark County.
