STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE Name: Zac Haines Address: 8802 Appleseed Drive Cincinnati, OH 45249 Phone: (513) 238-4514 Email: [email protected] Occupation: Small Business Owner / Entrepreneur 1. Why do you feel qualified to be a member of the State Board of Education? I was asked to run for this seat by the current President of the State Board of Education Debe Terhar. If elected, I would bring a much-needed business perspective and skill-set that to the State Board of Education that enables me to solves the complex issues facing our education system. I have an extensive background in building coalitions, managing budgets, and problem solving. Every decision I make will put the “children and parents first,” not the teachers’ unions or some special interest. 2. Does Ohio’s school funding mechanism provide for a high quality education for all children in Ohio? (Please explain your answer) We need to simplify and fix our school funding system. I do not believe the current model is constitutional and this issue needs to be resolved in the Ohio legislature so that all children have an opportunity to receive the quality education that they deserve. 3. Other than school funding, what education issues are a priority to you? How would you address these issues? I am opposed to Common Core and support its full-repeal. When it comes to education, a federalized top-down, one-size-fits all approach simply will not work. I am not opposed to standards, but I believe that education policy should, by and large, be left up to the states. Only educators and policy makers in Ohio know the unique circumstances we face, not some bureaucrat in Washington. 40 Northwoods Blvd., Suite A, Columbus, OH 43235 ~ 614-781-6344 ~ FAX 614-781-6349 [email protected] ~ www.ohiopta.org I believe there is entirely too much testing. We need to reduce the number of tests our children take so more time can be spent diving deeper into discussion and subject matter. I also fear we will lose good teachers from the profession due to excessive testing. I strongly support Career Technical Education as part of a well-rounded education. These opportunities enable students to broaden their scope, while learning future work skills that are in high-demand by Ohio employers. Students, who don’t plan to attend a four-year university, would be able to graduate high school with an industry-specific skill. We need to stop encouraging our students to go into debt if college is not affordable or desirable. Let's provide them with as many opportunities as possible from an early age. I also support dualenrollment programs with neighboring technical schools or community colleges. A young man or woman could learn to be a skilled mechanic, web programmer or welder, all while still in high school and meeting their traditional academic requirements. I would like to see cursive being taught again in schools, as well as non-revisionist teaching of American history. 4. Do you support school choice initiatives currently in Ohio (EdChoice, Cleveland and Autism Voucher Programs, Charter/Community Schools)? (Please explain your position) Parents should have the right to choose what type of education is best for their son or daughter. I support expanding the voucher program and offering parents a variety of choices when it comes to their children's education. This includes public, charter, parochial and homeschooling. 5. How can Ohio engage parents in their children’s education? Should the School Climate Guidelines be required for all districts? (Please explain your position) We need to do everything we can to empower parents and involve them in discussions pertaining to their children. A parent has the right to know what is going on in the classroom, and I support policies that proactively engage parents, and community at-large, to better enable our students’ achievement. 6. What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards? I am against Common Core and support the current bill in the Ohio legislature to repeal it. When it comes to education, a federalized approach is not the right way. Standards and education policy should be created by states and at the local level. Only parents, teachers and policy makers in Ohio know what’s best for Ohio’s classrooms. I also have concerns about excessive testing and privacy (data-mining). 7. Do you think high stakes testing is a fair criterion to assess teacher performance? What other criteria would you use to assess teacher performance? 40 Northwoods Blvd., Suite A, Columbus, OH 43235 ~ 614-781-6344 ~ FAX 614-781-6349 [email protected] ~ www.ohiopta.org Above all, our schools and teachers need to be held accountable to the parents, students and communities they serve. Any type of teacher evaluation needs to be formulated in a way that is fair and consistent. Testing should be a part of that evaluation, but it should not be the only factor. Other criteria should include, but not be limited to, feedback from parents and school administrators. 8. Do you feel guns should be in schools? Nothing is more important than the safety of our children. In light of several school shootings that have occurred in recent years, I support a school or school district’s decision to have trained and armed personnel onsite to protect our children if ever needed. It’s important that “good guys” are armed to protect and defend, and not just the bad ones. 40 Northwoods Blvd., Suite A, Columbus, OH 43235 ~ 614-781-6344 ~ FAX 614-781-6349 [email protected] ~ www.ohiopta.org