ALL IN FOR OHIO KIDS: Expansion of Unaccountable Vouchers Undercuts Progress on School Funding
Ohio Organizing Collaborative Co-Executive Director Molly Shack, Policy Matters Ohio Executive Director Hannah Halbert, Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper, and Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro released the following joint statement:
“Ohio students deserve fully funded, high quality, local public schools that help them reach their fullest potential, and it is the responsibility of our state legislators to enact a system that achieves this.
Legislators in the Ohio House took this responsibility seriously by passing a budget that increases state funding to public schools by nearly $1 billion and continues Ohio’s progress toward a full phase in of the Fair School Funding Plan – a funding formula based on what it actually costs school districts to educate their students. They also ensured that the data being used in that funding formula is current and accounts for the additional costs of educating students with disabilities and students who are learning the English language.
It is a monumental step forward that the House’s school funding commitment will be enacted in this budget, despite attempts by the Senate majority to cut more than $500 million from our schools. After decades of non-compliance with Ohio Supreme Court rulings, the legislature is on the brink of finally meeting its constitutional responsibility to fairly fund Ohio’s public schools.
Despite these gains, we have serious concerns with the General Assembly’s expansion of unaccountable private school vouchers. The legislature’s new universal private school voucher scheme will ensure that state support for our public schools will be diminished to pay for tuition for private school students, no matter how wealthy their family is or how their school performs. Priority should be given to fully implementing the Fair School Funding Plan so that our public schools, where 90 percent of students attend school, receive the resources they need instead of expanding unaccountable private school vouchers. As educators, parents, students, and taxpayers we will be unwavering in reminding Ohio’s elected officials where their responsibility lies.
We are also deeply concerned by the inclusion of SB 1 in this budget. This radical policy change puts more power in the hands of an appointed partisan official while taking away the ability to make important decisions that impact schools in Ohio from non-partisan, elected State Board of Education members. Ultimately, the changes in SB1 will silence the voice of educators and voters when making rules and policies that impact education policy in Ohio. When education issues become divisive partisan battles, Ohio students suffer the consequences.”
All in for Ohio Kids represents a broad group of concerned organizations and individuals who are working together to fully and fairly fund our schools.
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Bad for students. Bad for higher education. Bad for Ohio.
Your Voice is Critical
Urge Your State Representative to Oppose Substitute Senate Bill 83
Substitute Senate Bill 83, sponsored by Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), is a sweeping piece of legislation that is currently under consideration in the Ohio House Higher Education Committee. Currently, the committee is debating the eleventh version of the bill. SB 83 was narrowly passed with a vote of 8 to 7 by the Ohio House Higher Education Committee at its meeting on December 6, 2023.
While the current version removed the prohibition of faculty and employees to strike, the bill still contains provisions that cause serious concerns as it pertains to labor rights, job security, and academic freedom which have to potential to negatively impact the quality of higher education in Ohio.
In its current version, SB 83 eliminates the collective bargaining rights of higher education faculty members to bargain over certain working conditions. This includes prohibiting bargaining over faculty evaluations, tenure, and retrenchment (the process for reduction of force). This bill represents the largest attack on collective bargaining rights since Senate Bill 5 in 2011.
Additionally, SB 83 contains language that micromanages higher education classrooms and threatens academic freedoms on Ohio’s public university and college campuses. OEA believes that these policies are best developed locally by faculty and administration determining the systems that work best for their campuses, and not top-down state mandates.
We must stop Substitute Senate Bill 83! Email your Ohio House member and urge them to oppose this bill.
We must stop Substitute Senate Bill 83! Email your Ohio House member and urge them to oppose this bill.
Ohio Education Association deeply troubled with the Senate’s anti-public education substitute version of House Bill 33
The Senate’s budget includes provisions that will have a negative impact for Ohio’s public schools when compared to the budget passed by the Ohio House—including a school funding plan that will shift responsibility of funding our schools to local communities, the lack of a comprehensive plan to address the educator staffing crisis and pay gap, universal expansion of vouchers, allowing a test score to dictate when a student is retained under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, eroding educator and community input on K-12 Education Governance, rolling back gains made in childhood nutrition, and issues related to licensure for educators.”
“We are also highly dismayed with the Senate’s inclusion of Senate Bill 83, the Higher Education “Destruction” Act. OEA is opposed to the addition of HB 83 into the Senate’s version of the budget as it represents the largest attack on collective bargaining rights since Senate Bill 5 in 2011. It will censor honest and truthful education in our institutions of higher learning.”
The following are OEA’s positions on some of the public policy proposals contained in the Senate’s amended substitute version of the bill:
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- Schools Funding– OEA continues to support the Fair School Funding as passed by the Ohio House. While we are still analyzing the Senate school funding changes, OEA has serious concerns with the Senate’s adjustment to the methodology in calculating the state/local share formula.
- Voucher Expansion– OEA is opposed to the expansion of the EdChoice voucher program to universal eligibility for K-12 students. OEA recommends returning to current law with eligibility for income-based EdChoice vouchers at 250% of poverty. Expansion of vouchers should only be considered once the legislature has fully implemented the Fair School Funding Plan.
- Educator Staffing Issues– Reinstate the state minimum teacher salary from $30,000 to $40,000 and provisions from HB 9 that created a “Grow your Own Teacher Program” and Ohio Teacher Loan Repayment program.
- Mandatory Student Retention– OEA opposes removing language in the House-passed budget that would eliminate mandatory student retention under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. OEA firmly believes that high-stakes decisions about students should not be based on standardized test scores.
- School Meals– OEA opposes removing language in the House-passed budget to make school breakfast and lunch accessible to more children by having the state cover the cost between free and reduced-priced meals.
- Licensure– Reinstate teacher apprenticeship program leading to professional licensure, remove the provision allowing unlicensed military veterans to teach core subjects (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Languages, Fine Arts), and remove the modification of teacher licensure grade bands to preK-8 and 6-12 and maintain current licensure bands (preK-5, 4-9, and 7-12).
- Graduation Requirements– Social Studies and Financial Literacy- The substitute bill could reduce student exposure to social studies. OEA requests the removal of the provisions that permit a student to substitute one-half unit of financial literacy instruction for a one-half unit of social studies instruction to meet the financial literacy requirement for graduation.
- K12 Education Governance– OEA opposes the inclusion of Senate Bill 1 into the budget bill. The language in the bill would neuter the role of the State Board of Education by shifting the vast majority of its powers and duties to a cabinet agency. There is not broad consensus or buy-in among key educational stakeholders about this change.
- Higher Education– OEA opposes inclusion of SB 83 into the Senate’s version of the State Budget. SB 83 will only serve to drive students, faculty, and staff away from Ohio’s institutions of higher learning, while ultimately harming the economic future of our state. Additionally, SB 83 represents the single largest attack on collective bargaining rights in Ohio since Senate Bill 5 in 2011. OEA urges the Ohio General Assembly to remove all provisions of SB 83 from the budget.
Finally, OEA urges the Ohio House to vote against concurrence with the changes proposed by the Ohio Senate to HB 33. We call on members of the General Assembly to work across party lines to craft a final budget that supports the needs of public schools that serve 90 percent of Ohio’s students.
OEA to continue fighting for pension security in wake of STRS election
“The Ohio Education Association thanks Arthur Lard for his unwavering commitment to our pension security and the long-term health of the system for all active, retired and future teachers during his time on the STRS Board.
As the Board moves forward, it is more important than ever that every teacher in Ohio takes an active interest in the work of the STRS Board. STRS must make good on its promise to ensure that every teacher receives a guaranteed pension they can’t outlive, not just for active and retired teachers today but to make sure we can continue to bring excellent educators into the profession in the future to serve Ohio’s students. Risky investment schemes that undermine the future of the pension cannot be tolerated.
STRS faces difficult challenges in the years ahead, including market instability and growing inflation, and the work of the STRS Board will be critical if our pension system is to weather those storms. We wish Pat Davidson the best as he assumes his new responsibilities on the Board. We also look forward to working with all members of the STRS Board to ensure that all members, current and future, have a pension they can count on for the rest of their lives.”
OEA applauds public education investments in House-passed budget
“The Ohio Education Association applauds the Ohio House for prioritizing the students of our state in the budget bill passed in that chamber this week. This budget includes significant investments in public schools—including a plan to increase the minimum teacher salary to address growing teacher shortage issues—and it promotes a number of sound public education policies, like repealing the punitive mandatory retention provision of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee while maintaining an emphasis on the importance of literacy for our children. Additionally, this budget proposal makes school breakfast and lunch accessible to more children by having the state cover the difference in the cost between free and reduced-price meals.
More importantly, the House has demonstrated its commitment to working to fully and fairly fund the public schools that serve 90 percent of students in our state. This budget measure increases state funding to public schools by nearly $1 billion over the biennium by ensuring updated data is used in the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) formula to determine the actual costs of providing an excellent education to every child while continuing to provide more of the funding necessary to fulfill that promise, when the FSFP is fully implemented. OEA thanks the House for taking this important step forward.
The budget bill now moves to the Senate for consideration, and OEA urges our state Senators to build on the positive momentum of the House’s work and pull back on the proposed expansion of voucher schemes that would amount to near universal eligibility in our state. The Senate must do the right thing for Ohio’s 1.6 million public school students, and OEA looks forward to working with lawmakers from both parties to ensure the best budget bill possible is adopted for the next biennium.
OEA would like to thank House Speaker Jason Stephens, Leader Allison Russo, House Finance Committee Chair Jay Edwards, and Ranking Member Bride Rose Sweeney for their bipartisan efforts to bring the budget to this point. The budget proposal they produced puts Ohio students first and shows that the House supports what Ohioans believe so strongly, that public education matters in our state.”
Hunger-Free Schools Ohio calls for immediate relief for child hunger crisis
“Every child in Ohio, regardless of where they’re from, what they look like, or how much money their parents make, needs to be able to eat full, nutritionally complete meals at school. Therefore, allowing them to focus on what they’re learning, not on the hunger pangs they’re feeling,” said Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro, who hosted Monday’s discussion on behalf of the Hunger-Free Schools Ohio coalition. “Although the pandemic-era federal programs that ensured every Ohio child could receive free meals at school have ended, there is more than enough money in Ohio right now to ensure no student goes without the meals they need.”
“Having meals provided for my child when universal meal programs were in place in Ohio made a huge difference in our lives. Now, every dollar we’re spending on meals is a dollar we can’t spend on the other things we need,” said Megan Thompson, a parent in the Wellington Exempted School District in Lorain County who shared her family’s story during the Hunger-Free Schools Ohio discussion this week.
“Our students are keenly aware of the difference having nutritious school meals makes in their days along with the struggles some of their peers face in trying to pay for those meals,” said Bluffton Middle School Principal Josh Kauffman, whose Allen County students hosted a bake sale to pay off the lunch debts of their classmates. “Unfortunately, there is a stigma around accepting necessary help to access school meals. But that stigma disappears when systems are in place to provide healthy school meals for all.”
“One in six children, and as many as one in four children in certain counties, lives in a household that faces hunger—that’s 413,000 kids across Ohio. School meals play an essential role in alleviating child hunger and improving child wellbeing. We hope lawmakers will prioritize our kids and school nutrition programs in this biennial budget by expanding critical access to school meals,” said Katherine Ungar, a Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio Policy Associate who wrote the “School Meals Support Ohio Student Health and Learning” white paper.
“It has been heartbreaking to see students who are unable to pay for their school lunches turned away from the nutritious food they need. Our dedicated cafeteria staff should never have to serve as both caring food service professionals and hard-hearted debt collectors,” said Daryn Guarino, Director of Food and Nutrition for Alexander Local Schools in Athens County.
“School meals are a basic need for every student to be able to learn and reach their full potential in our classrooms,” agreed Lindy Douglas, Special Programs Coordinator for Alexander Local Schools. “Especially here in rural Appalachia, where our kids already struggle to have a level playing field in so many ways, our kids can’t afford to have our state leaders fail to act on this urgent issue. Ohio lawmakers must act now to make sure every child is fed.”
ABOUT HUNGER-FREE SCHOOLS OHIO
We are a passionate collective representing more than 40 local and statewide anti-hunger, education, food, and nutrition organizations and associations who are working to take hunger off the table, committed to ensuring that every student in Ohio has access to healthy school meals. Learn more at hungerfreeschoolsoh.org
February 2023 OEA Retirement Systems Update
OEA Endorses Arthur Lard for Re-Election to STRS Board
The OEA Board of Directors has voted to endorse Arthur Lard for re-election to the STRS Board. Lard is a business education teacher from Portsmouth City Schools who has served on the STRS Board since 2019. He has a strong background in accounting and board governance. He has served as treasurer of his local association for 23 years and was treasurer of the OEA Board of Directors for four years. Prior to becoming a member of the STRS Board, Lard completed extensive training on pension issues receiving the Certificate of Achievement in Public Plan Policy on Employee Pensions from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
As a member of the STRS Board, Lard has been a thoughtful advocate for Ohio’s teachers. During his time on the Board, the funding status of the pension plan has improved, making our benefits more secure. The health care plan is fully funded so that it will be there for current and future retirees. The Board has lowered health care premiums and provided rebates to retirees. This fiscal year, STRS paid a 3% COLA to retirees and, most notably, did away with the age 60 requirement for retirement eligibility.
Ballots for the STRS Board election will be sent in early April. Active employees contributing to STRS and those with accounts on deposit (including members who are receiving disability benefits) are eligible to vote. Members can vote by mail, phone, or online following the instructions within the election materials. Votes must be received by May 1, 2023.
Faber Audit of STRS Finds No Evidence of Fraud
In late December, Auditor of State Keith Faber released results of a special audit of STRS. The audit resulted from a report critical of STRS operations that was commissioned by the Ohio Retired Teachers Association. The special audit found “no evidence of fraud, illegal acts or data manipulation related to the $90 billion held in trust by STRS for its members.”
The report further states that “STRS’s organization structure, control environment and operations are suitably designed and well-monitored, both internally and by independent experts.” Contrary to accusations made by detractors, STRS operations have been largely vindicated by independent reviews from the State Auditor and a fiduciary audit commissioned by the Ohio Retirement Study Council. These evaluations consistently find that STRS is following best or leading practices in its operations. In the words of the audit, “the checks and balances these experts provide should reassure stakeholders concerning STRS’s operations.”
Further conclusions from the special audit in investments include:
- Investment benchmarks are not unusually high or low compared to peer benchmarks.
- STRS’s controls over private equity fees have been appropriately designed and implemented.
- STRS’s investment earnings ranked in the top quartile among its peers.
Two Vie for SERS Board Seat
There is a contested election for a seat on the SERS Board representing active employees. Becky Roe and Aimee Russell are running for a first term on the Board. In early February, a ballot and postage-paid return envelope was sent to all active SERS members. Ballots must be returned by March 6, 2023, to be valid.
Roe works for Columbus City Schools as the Director of Financial Process Improvement. She previously worked as a member of SERS staff for 24 years. Russell serves as a bus driver, paraprofessional, and cafeteria worker for the Ashland City Schools. She is an active participant in her OAPSE local.
In January, an OEA screening committee conducted interviews of both candidates but decided not to recommend a candidate for endorsement, taking a neutral “no position” in this race. Additional information about each candidate and the election can be found on the SERS website by clicking here.
Click here to download a copy of this February 2023 Report to the OEA Board of Directors. Previous Retirement Systems Updates can be viewed under the Affiliate Resources tab on the OEA website.
OEA lays out bold vision for 135th General Assembly
“This legislative session presents a tremendous opportunity to address school funding, the educator shortage, the well-being of our students and staff, and other issues that affect our members and the learners we serve,” OEA President Scott DiMauro wrote in a letter to state lawmakers and the governor laying out OEA’s legislative priorities for the 135th General Assembly.
“OEA looks forward to working collaboratively with lawmakers in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle to achieve these important goals for our students and the dedicated teachers, support professionals, and faculty members who work with them every day,” DiMauro said.
Priority education issues for this General Assembly to address include the following:
- Fully funding the Fair School Funding Plan
- Alleviating school staffing shortages
- Ending the expansion of private school voucher programs
- Repealing mandatory student retention under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee
- Supporting student and staff wellbeing
- Protecting the voice of educators by supporting unions and defending collective bargaining rights
More information about each of these legislative priorities can be downloaded here
All in for Ohio Kids responds to Gov. DeWine’s proposed budget
OOC Co-Executive Director Molly Shack, PMO Executive Director Hannah Halbert, OFT President Melissa Cropper, and OEA President Scott DiMauro released the following joint statement:
“No matter where they live or what they look like, all of Ohio’s kids deserve a public school that inspires their creativity, unlocks their potential, and nurtures their dreams. But according to the EdWeek Research Center, Ohio is among the least equitable states for education resource distribution in the country. While we recognize Governor DeWine’s commitment to continuing implementation of the Cupp-Patterson school funding formula, also known as the Fair School Funding Plan, we are calling on Ohio’s lawmakers to take bold action and implement full funding for that plan.
Fully and fairly funding Ohio’s public schools will give school districts a permanent, adequate, stable funding stream that will allow them to make necessary investments to meet the needs of students and address education staffing shortages. Legislators should also avoid competing funding obligations, such as an expansion of private school vouchers or charter schools, that would hinder our ability to fully fund the public schools that 90% of Ohio students attend.
For decades, Ohio policymakers had allowed unconstitutional funding guidelines to determine how resources flow to our public schools. The Fair School Funding Plan created a student-centered school funding formula which put us on the path toward finally meeting our constitutional obligation to Ohio’s students. However, without fully phasing in the necessary funding levels we are still falling short of what our children deserve.
Ohio’s students can’t wait any longer for lawmakers to deliver on the promise of world-class opportunities for all. We urge legislative leaders to finish what they started, refine the components of the school funding formula, and finally dedicate the resources needed for each and every Ohio student to succeed.”
All in for Ohio Kids represents a broad group of concerned organizations and individuals who are working together to fully and fairly fund our schools.