If you have any questions about House Bill 1, the educational provisions contained in it, or its implementation, please post them here.
Lottery Funds: What happened to the money and how much is going to schools?
Since 1974, the Ohio Lottery has provided more than $16 billion to public education. Annually, lottery profits provide about 4.5 percent of the funding needed for public education. In FY 2008 the lottery provided $668 million to public education.
5.78% Increase: Explain federal and state funding over the biennium.
HB 1 appropriations in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 represent a 5.78 percent increase over FY 2009 appropriations. Over the biennium (FY 2010 and FY 2011), support will increase by 5.54 percent. These percentages represent both state support and federal stimulus funds.
Federal Stimulus Funds: Can they be used for teacher salaries?
Yes. ARRA IDEA Part B has an exception included for districts who receive a “meets requirements” designation from ODE’s Office of Exceptional Children. If the district is designated as “meets requirements,” it may use up to 50% of IDEA Part B and ARRA IDEA Part B dollars received, in excess of the amount received for the prior year, to replace local and state education funds, provided they are used for activities authorized by ESEA (Elementary & Secondary Education Act). This link to ODE’s website provides the language that is mentioned above. If a district is planning to RIF positions and those positions meet IDEA requirements, the district should consider maintaining the positions and pay for them with ARRA IDEA Part B funds.
ARRA Title I Part A Funds – If a school district can provide documents showing a teaching/specialist position previously paid with state and local funds will be eliminated in the current year due to state and local budget cuts, then it may be able to utilize ARRA Title I Part A dollars if the position is in a Title I school or meets Title I Part A requirements. Click here to download a document from the US Department of Education titled “Non-Regulatory Guidance: Title I Fiscal Issues.” Page 39 of this document goes into detail concerning the information above (pages 37-41 goes into detail concerning Supplement, not Supplant).
School Funding Advisory Council: Makeup of committee, is there OEA representation, and who appoints?
HB 1 creates a 27-member School Funding Advisory Council to review the adequacy of the funding system every two years. Two public school district teaching employees and two non-teaching school district employees are to be appointed by the Governor. OEA will be submitting names of recommended candidates for the School Funding Advisory Council to the Governor for his consideration.
$1,833 in Professional Development Funds: Requirements, mandate, who receives funds, when does it start?
The new funding formula in HB 1 includes a category designated “Professional Development” which is funded at the rate of $1,833 per full-time teacher beginning this school year. That money will be distributed to districts as part of the total state funding package. HB1 requires, beginning in FY 2012, that school districts use these funds to provide teachers with professional development that is aligned with the standards developed by the Educator Standards Board and approved by the State Board of Education. Furthermore, HB1 directs ODE to provide guidance to districts and schools in aligning professional development with the standards. Leaders and members need to be aware of the funding change and be prepared to advocate for appropriate spending of this money by the district.
Praxis 3: What happens to teachers who finished Praxis 2 this year?
HB 1 eliminated the previous entry year program and Praxis III assessment with the new four-year Resident Educator Program scheduled to begin in fall 2011. During the 2009-10 and 2010-2011 academic years, teachers with two-year provisional licenses will be required to participate in the Resident Educator Transition Program with a state-trained mentor. Mentor training will begin in September in all 16 regions (www.ode.state.oh.us keyword: Resident Educator). ODE has requested that educators interested in serving on the Resident Educator Program Development Committee submit their application online here.
Educator Standards Board (ESB) and Peer Evaluation: What safeguards is OEA taking to ensure that we don’t erode unions and sustain membership?
HB 1 requires the Educator Standards Board to develop a model peer assistance program. Ohio has some of the most successful and longest running peer assistance programs in the country, including Brunswick, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo. OEA’s policy is that mentor programs and other professional peer support systems, if or when adopted, should be utilized solely for the development of professional expertise. The planning, implementation, and evaluation of such programs must be cooperatively negotiated and developed with the local affiliate. It is critical that, if a local association chooses to bargain a peer assistance program, that it build in safeguards for teachers that protect their job security and ensure effective peer support to address areas for improvement in practice. HB 1 also requires the Educator Standards Board to develop model teacher and principal evaluations. OEA is committed to helping to create fair and comprehensive evaluation systems that include multiple measures of performance and are based on the Standards for Ohio Educators. OEA’s policy is that the sole purpose of teacher evaluation is the improvement of instruction and advocates for a formal evaluation system for every teacher in every school district. Consistent evaluation of on the job performance is the only appropriate way to assess and assure the competency of practicing teachers. ODE has requested that educators interested in serving on the Teacher Evaluation Writing Team submit their application online here.