State legislator learns about CEO program

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A former vocational ag teacher from Harrison County in east central Ohio, State Representative Don Jones now chairs the Ohio House of Representatives’ Primary/Secondary Education Committee. In that capacity, the Republican legislator was in Van Wert on Friday to learn more about the local Career Education Opportunity (CEO) program that provides local seniors the opportunity to learn about a variety of jobs available in the community.

Jones first met with Kerry Koontz, CEO program coordinator, and a number of students who are participating in the program. Those student interns, Kirsten Clay (Central Insurance Companies), Jenna Covey (Van Wert Health-pharmacy), Delaney Eyanson (Van Wert County Adult Probation), Colin Place (two dental offices), Ryan Pratt (Foster Family Chiropractic), and Emma Witten (Van Wert Health-nursing), provided information about their job experiences and why they decided to be a part of the program.

Each of the students talked about what they have learned while interning at local businesses. Koontz also noted that Covey, who decided to seek a pharmacy career, rather than her earlier choice of engineering, gave up earning a Diploma with Honors because she decided to take an anatomy class that would help her with her with her pharmacy education in place of two social studies electives needed to earn a Diploma with Honors.

Rep. Jones said he feels a Diploma with Honors is more of a personal goal, rather than something a student needs to get hired by an employer or to get into a good college. 

“Colleges don’t care if you’ve got a Diploma with Honors, a Diploma with Distinction, or a diploma period, they just want you, they want your money, and they want to get you in their class or program,” he noted.

In addition to talking with students about the CEO program, Jones also spoked with Koontz, CEO co-coordinator Julie Schroeder, and VWHS Principal Bob Priest about that program, but also about the impact State Report Cards and proficiency testing have on students and teachers.

The state legislator, who earned a degree in special education from Ashland University but spent more than two decades as an ag teacher, noted he feels it’s time to move away from excessive testing, and State Report Card items such as Prepared for Success.

“My goal is to get rid of some of the testing, get kids back to where we can help them make good decisions,” Jones said. “We’ve moved too far away from what you folks here are doing here. This is the real world; what you’re doing is real life.”

He noted that, of Ohio’s 608 school districts, 511 of them earned a “D” or “F” on the Prepared for Success portion of the State Report Card, and added that, in his mind, Prepared for Success really wasn’t a valid benchmark for how well schools prepare their students.

“We need to quit grading and comparing everything we do in education,” Jones said. “I want to get it back to where local school districts can make the best decisions for what’s best for the kids.”

In addition to talking with students and administrators about the CEO program, Jones also toured five employers who are participating in the program: National Door & Trim, Van Wert Fire Department, Central Insurance Company, Deitemeyer Brothers Construction, and Bee Gee Realty.