Ohio business leaders urge education reform

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A group of major Ohio business leaders is urging Gov. John Kasich to push hard on educational changes.

The Ohio Business Roundtable wrote to Kasich as he prepares to unveil plans for school funding and a state budget blueprint. The group includes executives of some 80 companies, including the Procter & Gamble Co., J.M. Smucker Co., and Bob Evans Farms, and other large employers.

The group says Ohio is making progress, but that there are many good jobs that go unfilled because young people lack basic education qualifications. They praise Kasich initiatives such as the third-grade reading guarantee, and encourage him to keep his foot "on the gas pedal."

Educators are anxiously awaiting Kasich's plans, especially on funding. Many schools have had budget struggles in recent years.