Ted Strickland says he regrets saying for-profit charter schools have 'raped' taxpayers, but stands

Ted Strickland says he regrets saying for-profit charter schools have 'raped' taxpayers, but stands by criticism

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Ted Strickland said Saturday that he regrets his choice of words when he said in Columbus this week that for-profit charter schools have "raped" Ohio taxpayers.

"I should have said they were robbing taxpayers. I should have said they were cheating taxpayers. It was a poor choice of words," said Strickland, a former Ohio governor who is challenging U.S. Sen. Rob Portman this November. "But the truth is, charter schools have been taking money out of our public schools, and they've been enriching Republican donors, and it's been shameful."

Strickland added there are good charter schools, he just meant to condemn Ohio's failure to regulate them properly, particularly for-profit charter schools and online schools.

"We are an embarrassment because even people who are strong advocates for charter schools understand the way they've been managed in Ohio has been pathetic," Strickland said. "That's what I was trying to convey."

Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2016/10/ted_strickland_says_he_regrets.html#incart_river_index