They've got big ideas about turning Ohio's educational system around by focusing on what they see as the real needs of students, including: more tutors and smaller class sizes to lower the drop-out rate... and offering more "advanced placement" classes to students in lower income districts.
Shaw High School Senior Jonathan Lykes is one of the organizers of the Columbus meeting, and he says some teachers are not prepared to deal with a new generation of students.
JONATHAN LYKES: I think a lot of people try to make it too simple by saying these students should just be coming to school and read. Not understanding them is the problem. And, because a lot of the teachers don't understand who they're teaching, a lot of students aren't learning and aren't receptive to coming to school. And a lot more problems root out of that.
The Ohio Youth Agenda was first formulated last February, and the plan is to refine it today, and build political influence --- in an influential state --- in advance of next year's election.
