Cordray's Hangin' With Teach

This is pretty neat. In response to the new curriculum requirements for graduating Ohio students requiring some instruction in personal finance, State Treasurer Cordray is helping out. Over the summer he'll be sitting down with over 285 teachers to instruct them in how to teach personal finance to their students. He certainly doesn't have to do this, it's just your friendly Treasurer lending a hand.

The statewide training initiative was developed by Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray, the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Council on Economic Education in answer to Ohio’s Core Curriculum Bill (S.B. No. 313), which passed late last year. The bill requires that school districts offer personal finance education as part of their high school curricula beginning in 2010.

“Teachers attending these workshops will be shaping the consumers of tomorrow,” Cordray said. “Students will become more financially savvy and be able to make decisions that will lead to financial stability for them personally, and for our economy generally,” he added.

A nationwide survey sponsored by the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy last year found that high school seniors are failing when it comes to financial literacy. Only 52.4 percent of questions about personal finance and economics were answered by students correctly, which underscores the need for more financial education, Cordray said.

The two-day Teachers Academy program will be offered at seven statewide locations:

Youngstown State University June 13 - 14
University of Akron June 18 - 19
Bowling Green State University June 18 - 19
University of Cincinnati June 20 - 21
Wright State University June 25 - 26
Ashland University June 27 - 28
Ohio State University June 27- 28

For a detailed schedule of events, Teachers Academy curriculum details, and additional information, visit www.ohiotreasurer.gov and click on Teachers Academy.