The Coalition is a strategic alliance composed of the superintendents and teachers’ union presidents from Ohio’s eight largest urban school districts – Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown.

The Coalition is founded on the principle that a high-performance public education system is essential to the civic and economic health of Ohio’s cities. The Ohio 8 Coalition’s mission is to work with policy makers to improve academic performance and close the achievement gap for urban children throughout Ohio.

The Ohio 8 Coalition Announces Support for Governor's Education Reform Plan

“While we have made significant strides over the past several years, the progress was within an antiquated system that frequently constrained our abilities. If we are to speed up the pace of progress, a fresh approach is needed that will propel our students and communities into the 21st century,” the Ohio 8 Coalition said in a letter of support. “Your plan is bold, comprehensive, systemic and innovative. We applaud your commitment to student-focused reform and the principles of Academic Reform, Funding Reform and Accountability.”

Governor Strickland’s comprehensive plan to establish a modernized education system is designed to ensure every Ohio child learns the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century economy. The plan has been endorsed by the Ohio Business Roundtable and the State University Education Deans (SUED).

“I am grateful for the Ohio 8 Coalition’s support,” Strickland said. “I will continue to rely on the experienced guidance of the coalition members as we work to reform our schools to meet the needs of every Ohio child.”

The full letter of support from the Ohio 8 Coalition is available by clicking below:

Ohio 8 Letter of Support to Governor Strickland

Leading the Parade: Transforming Urban Public Education in Ohio to become a High Demand and High Performing System in 2020

In the fall of 2007, the Ohio 8 Leadership Council began examining future trends in order to reinforce its long-term vision and strategic plan. With support from the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Ohio 8 members participated in a comprehensive scenario-planning process facilitated by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), an organization with expertise in future-focused strategic planning. The process enabled the Council to explore trends depicted in KnowledgeWork’s Map of Future Forces Affecting Education, design future scenarios for the year 2020, and analyze the implications for urban education in Ohio beginning in 2008. Based on their deliberations, the Ohio 8 developed a set of robust recommendations and subsequent actions designed to position themselves successfully for the future. These recommendations are presented in “Leading the Parade: Transforming Urban Public Education in Ohio to become a High Demand and High Performing System in 2020.”

October 11, 2007 -- Ohio 8 Coalition releases new data showing academic achievement among Ohio's big-city districts outpaces the state as a whole at the Second Summit on Urban Education in Columbus

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