The mission of the Ohio Fair Schools Campaign is to organize and advocate for high quality public education opportunities for all Ohio children wherever they live, whatever their race and whatever their family background.
To:      LWVO
From:      Joan Platz
Education Update for February 4, 2008

1) 127th General Assembly: 
The Ohio House and Senate will meet this week and hold committee hearings and sessions.  On Wednesday, February 6, 2008 Governor Strickland will present the annual State of the State Address at noon to a joint session of the Ohio House and Senate in the Ohio House Chambers.

*On January 30, 2008 state leaders joined with Battelle, Carl Kohrt CEO, and its partners to launch the Ohio STEM Learning Network to promote student learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in Ohio.  The Ohio General Assembly included in the biennial budget (HB119) funds to support STEM schools and  STEM programs of excellence in Ohio.  The STEM Subcommittee of the Partnership for Continued Learning will be selecting schools and programs in mid February 2008 to receive funding.  Battelle has been selected to provide support for these STEM schools and programs, and recently received $12 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support STEM initiatives.  The Ohio STEM Learning Network is available at http://stemohio.org/doc/ohio-stem-learning-network.

2)  Governor Announces Budget Cuts:
Governor Strickland issued on January 31, 2008 an Executive Order to implement expenditure reductions and spending controls to balance the state's budget in FY08 and FY09.  The state budget approved by the Ohio General Assembly in June 2007 (HB119-Dolan) was based on an assumption that the economy would show slight growth in mid 2008 and stronger growth in 2009.  However, recent reports project a weaker economy and lower than estimated revenue for the remainder of the fiscal year. According to the National Governor's Association, 18 states are projecting budget deficits for FY08.

As a result of the low revenue projections the Governor ordered agencies and departments to reduce spending by $733.4 million and take other steps to control spending, and proposed a new game for the Ohio Lottery to raise approximately $73 million.  Protected from the budget cuts are debt service payments, pension payments, tax relief programs such as the homestead exemption, the higher education tuition freeze, state school funding foundation program, and Medicaid entitlement programs.

The Ohio Department of Education will reduce spending by $51.8 million in FY08 and $49.6 million in FY09, and the Ohio Board of Regents will reduce spending by $90 million in FY08.

Some of the proposed cost savings strategies will require legislative changes, which will be included in a future budget corrections or capital appropriations bill.  There is also approximately $1 billion available in the budget stabilization fund (rainy day fund), that could also be used to reduce a budget deficit.

3)  Federal Update: 
Members of Congress returned to Washington in January to resume work on an economic stimulus package, new budget and appropriations recommendations, and a variety of education initiatives, including the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and NCLB.

*The U.S. House of Representatives was unable to override on January 23, 2008 President Bush's veto of the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program Act (H.R. 3963). This bill would have expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to more children.  Lawmakers are expected to continue efforts to approve a bill satisfactory to all parties.

*President Bush presented the "State of the Union Address" on January 28, 2008.  In his remarks pertaining to education, the President asked Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act, and approve a $300 million voucher program called "Pell Grants for Kids". This program would provide public funds to low-income students in underperforming schools to pay tuition to attend other public schools or private and religious schools.  A similar federally funded program, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, has been operating since 2004, but a U.S. DOE report in June 2007 found no differences in test scores between students participating in the voucher program and students who did not.  (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20074009/) To read the State of the Union Address please visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2008/index.html

*President Bush will submit his last budget request to Congress on February 4, 2008.  The FY09 Budget is expected to exceed $3 trillion dollars and focus on reforms for the Medicaid and Medicare programs. The budget will be available for downloading from the Office of Management and Budget's web site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/

4) Legislative Hearings Scheduled for the week of February 4-8, 2008:

*The Ohio House Finance and Appropriations Committee, Representative Hottinger chair, will meet on February 5, 2008 at 1:00 PM in room 313, and hear testimony on HB381 (Webster) - Ohio Research Scholars Program (Webster), which increases funds available for Ohio Research Scholars Program, and permits a nonpublic four-year Ohio university to submit a proposal for the Ohio Research Scholars Program.

*The Ohio Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, chaired by Senator Carey, will meet on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 2:30 PM in the Senate Finance Hearing Room.  The Committee will hear testimony on the following:
-SB139 (Mumper) Prevailing Wage Law:  Permits state institutions of higher education to use single/multiple prime bidding for public improvement projects.
-SB273 (Niehaus) Classroom Facilities Assistance:  Calculates an alternate equity list for fiscal year 2008 to determine school district eligibility for assistance under the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program, and their local shares in fiscal year 2009.
-SJR4 (Schuring) Lottery Profits:  Requires all lottery profits and a percentage of revenue from certain taxes to be devoted to funding primary, secondary, and higher education.  A substitute bill may be introduced.

*The Ohio House Education Committee, chaired by Representative Setzer, will meet on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 4:00 PM in hearing room 116.  The committee will hear testimony on the following bills:
-HB421 (Miller E) Nuisance Properties:  Permits nuisance properties around schools to be eradicated.
-HB347 (Setzer) Professional Educator's License:  Replaces Praxis III assessment as a condition for a professional license.
-HB428 (Setzer) School Employee Misconduct:  Addresses school employee misconduct, reporting, and discipline.
SCR 18 (Padgett) Academic Accountability:  Approves the ODE's proposed changes to the state's academic accountability system for public schools.

*The Ohio Senate Education Committee, chaired by Senator Padgett, will meet on January 29, 2008 at 4:00 PM in the North Hearing Room, and hear testimony on the following bills:
-SB264 (Carey) Teacher Strikes:  Prohibits classroom teachers from striking, and requires binding arbitration to settle unresolved collective bargaining disputes.
-SB270 (Cates) School Employee Misconduct:  Regarding the reporting of and discipline for school employee misconduct.
-SB141 (Padgett) Community School Accountability: Clarifies the responsibilities and oversight of sponsors of community schools.

*The Ohio House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Representative Gibbs, will meet on Wednesday, February 6, 2008 at 2:30 PM in room 121, and hear testimony on HB396 (Hottinger) Tax -Exempt Organizations, which authorizes a board of county commissioners to appropriate funds to tax-exempt 501(c) (3) organizations that serve a community purpose.

*The Ohio House State Government and Elections Committee, chaired by Representative Daniels, will meet on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 9:30 AM in room 122 and hear testimony on HB420 (Brinkman) State Spending, which promotes transparency with respect to state spending by requiring that certain information on state awards and earmarks, state real property management, state agency management, and state program effectiveness be made available online; and HB350 (Wolpert) Precinct Election Officers, which permits higher education students to serve as precinct election officials in county where they attend school, and permits up to two high school seniors to serve as precinct officers at polling places with six or more precinct officers.

5)  Senate Education Hears Testimony: 
Members of the Senate Education Committee heard testimony on three bills on January 29, 2008.  Chairman Padgett was unable to attend the hearings due to an accident, but is expected to recover quickly.  Senator Cates, as vice chairman, led the hearing on SB 264 (Carey), SB 270 (Cates), and SB 141 (Padgett).

*SB 264 (Carey):  Several individuals testified on SB 264 (Carey), which prohibits classroom teachers employed by boards of education from striking, and instead requires binding arbitration to settle their unresolved collective bargaining disputes.

Mark Castro, Aaron Michael, and Brad Bapst testified in favor of the bill.   They explained how a teachers' strike negatively affected their communities and students, and how binding arbitration would better balance the needs of the students, teachers, and communities. There are long term consequences to strikes, such as failed attempts to approve levies and loss of students.  A 107 day strike in the Eastern Local School District in Pike County in 2003 cost the district $600,000 for security protection.

Matt Dotson from the Ohio Education Association and Darold Johnson from the Ohio Federation of Teachers testified against the bill. They believe that this bill will take away a right from both unions and school boards to resolve contract issues, and give authority to an outside party to make local decisions, which may lead to increases in taxes.  Just the threat of a possible strike encourages resolution of difficult contract issues, that affect the quality of the learning environment and student learning.

*SB 270 (Cates):  Lori Kelly, ODE Associate Director, Office of Professional Conduct, testified in support of this bill, which would tighten reporting and discipline procedures for school employee misconduct.  Ms. Kelly noted that this bill would require school employees to comply with the same eligibility requirements as those seeking an education license, and ensure certain due process procedures to protect school employees.

SB141 (Padgett)  Andy Jewell from the Ohio Education Association and Joan Platz from the League of Women Voters of Ohio presented proponent testimony on SB 141, which makes changes in the law regarding the approval of community school sponsors.  Andy Jewell noted that the bill makes some positive changes to improve oversight of community school sponsors, but more needs to be done.  He also testified that two provisions of the bill could be barriers to the success of charter schools sponsored by elected boards of education. The first prohibits employees or board members of sponsoring public schools from serving on the governing authority of the schools that they sponsor.  The second provision requires the ODE to directly pay sponsors.

6) House Education Testimony: 
Chairman of the House Education Committee, Representative Arleen Setzer, presented sponsor testimony on HB 424 before the committee on January 29, 2008.  HB 424 makes several changes in law regarding Post-Secondary Enrollment Options, dual enrollment programs, and eliminates the performance index score as a factor in school district and building performance ratings. According to an analysis of the bill, SB424 does the following:

*States that the purpose of PSEO is "to provide post-secondary education opportunities, including career-technical and skills development courses, for secondary grade students who are ready to do college-level work and to help secondary grade students transition to college or the work force."

*Clarifies that a college course qualifies for state reimbursement under PSEO based on the content of the course and the credentials of the instructor.

*Adds an extra statement that the PSEO reimbursement paid to the institution and the corresponding deduction from the student's school district, community school, or STEM school, or from the state set-aside for a nonpublic school student, "shall cover the cost of tuition, textbooks, materials, and other fees directly related to that course."

*Requires that high schools determine the amount of high school credit to award for a college course by examining the course syllabus or instructional materials or both. The amount of high school credit must be "based on the level of difficulty and depth of and breadth of the course content, rather than on the amount of hours of classroom instruction included in the course."

*Provides that the student's high school must include in the student's record the grade achieved in the college course and must use that grade in computing not only the student's cumulative grade point average but also any weighted grade point average or class rank maintained for the student.

*Prohibits an institution from imposing on PSEO students entrance requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on other entering first-year undergraduate students.

*Specifies that an institution may not require a PSEO student to complete the entire Ohio Core high school curriculum as a prerequisite to enrolling in a college course. Nevertheless, the institution may require completion of a particular high school course as a prerequisite for a particular college course, if the institution determines that completion of the high school course is necessary for successful completion of the college course.

*Changes the date of application for student notification to their school to participate in PSEO from March 30 to May 31 of the prior school year beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

*Requires each regional advisory council of the Educational Regional Service System to design a strategy for participation in PSEO by students enrolled in public and nonpublic high schools located in its region.

*Requires the Department of Education and the Board of Regents by September 1, 2008, to develop and implement a data system regarding students participating in PSEO.

*Requires the Department of Education, by September 1, 2008, to report to the General Assembly on access to PSEO by high school students during college summer sessions. Each regional advisory council of the Educational Regional Service System must assist the Department by collecting data for its respective region and submitting it to the Department.

*Changes the definition of a dual enrollment program. Under the bill, a dual enrollment program is one that "enables a student to earn college credit while enrolled in high school as a result of participating in a college course offered at a college or university or at a high school or offered via distance learning arrangements, through which credit is recorded on the student's transcript upon completing the course." Under this definition, PSEO participation would still satisfy the requirement. But the bill removes the current statement that Advanced Placement courses satisfy the requirement.

*Defines an accelerated learning program as one that "enables a student to complete coursework while enrolled in high school for which the student earns high school credit and also may earn credit toward a degree from an institution of higher education upon the student's matriculation at that institution."  Advanced Placement courses and International Baccalaureate programs would qualify as accelerated learning.

*Eliminates the performance index score as a factor in the school district and building performance ratings, and replaces it with the newly developed value-added progress dimension, which tracks the amount of a student's academic growth attributable to a district or building.

7)  Student Essay Contest: 
The Governor's Office on Women's Initiatives and Outreach and the Ohio Interagency Council for Women and Girls are sponsoring the "2008 Women Making History Essay Contest" for students in the eighth grade.  Participants in the contest should submit an essay between 400 and 600 words focusing on a particular woman's past or current achievements, and why the selected woman is a historic figure.  Essays must be post marked by March 7, 2008.   Winners will be recognized at the 2008 Women's Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Kits containing contest details, guidelines and related materials will be mailed to public school principals and eighth-grade teachers.  For more information please visit http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=519&Content=43826

8)  Why Arts Education Matters: 
A Commentary in the January 29, 2008 online version of Education Week called "Why Arts Education Matters" by Stephanie Perrin urges policy makers to recognize how an education in the arts helps students to become creative, innovative, imaginative, and more competitive in the global economy.

According to Ms. Perrin, "As the country contemplates reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, political and policy leaders must recognize that an education in and through the arts, as a central part of a total school program, allows schools to better address these challenges than a curriculum that defines success as aptitude in literacy and math only." She goes on to describe five challenges that demonstrate why learning in and through the arts will better equip students to thrive in this new century.  The five challenges are included below.  The full article is available at http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/01/30/21perrin.h27.html?print=1

Five Challenges

"America continues to face declining social engagement and a culture of division. Arts education develops in students a capacity for empathy and collaborative work. The culture of schools where the arts are part of the core curriculum is engaging and positive. In such schools, one finds self-motivated students, greater parental involvement, intensified student and teacher engagement, strengthened collegiate aspirations, and respect for cultural differences."

"One of the greatest public-health issues in America, it could be argued, is the failure of the education system to provide direction and purpose to young people, particularly adolescents. This results in apathy at best and, at worst, youth violence. Intensive engagement in the arts actively supports the psychological, physical, and social development of preadolescent and adolescent students. Because training in the arts often engages the whole child, it is also effective in schools with student populations that have a wide variety of learning styles, experiences, and backgrounds. It has been shown, for example, to reduce the incidence of such problems as apathy and aggression among students in urban settings.

"The impact of the "globalization" of culture and commerce in an increasingly interdependent world is not yet being adequately addressed by American educators. Because the arts share a global language and a common culture of training and production, they can provide a ready pathway for global communication. The arts are a universal language, one that bridges cultures and articulates the highest aspirations of humankind."

"America is in danger of losing its competitive advantage to emerging nations that increasingly use arts education as a learning tool to help nurture an innovative and flexible workforce. The study of the arts promotes the development of such skills and capacities as risk-taking and creative thinking, which are important to success in a globally competitive marketplace. Most American high schools, though, still employ an educational model designed for a 19th-century industrial economy, limiting learning to discrete disciplines and focusing on the coverage of content, rather than the development of broader skills and understandings that apply to many contexts."

"The crisis of this American century is not material or intellectual, but spiritual. Unlike traditional academic disciplines, arts education can support an outcome greater than personal success, cultural advancement, or economic influence. The study of the arts asks young people to consider the meaning, both personal and communal, of the work in which they are engaged. Students working in the arts are by definition connected with their culture. The arts traditionally express and test the highest values of any culture, and are a response to people's longing for connection to a narrative greater than their own personal stories."

9)  Bills Introduced:

HB457 (Evans) Nominating Petitions:  Requires a board of elections that distributes an incorrect petition to a person seeking to become a candidate to accept that petition as though it were the proper petition and to verify the signatures.

HB452 (Book) Classroom Facilities Assistance:  Calculates an alternate equity list for 2008 for purposes of determining school districts' eligibility for assistance under the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program and their local shares in 2009.

HB454 (Brady) Community Schools:  Establishes a moratorium on new "brick and mortar" community schools, requires school operators to be nonprofit entities, and to eliminate the requirement that districts offer property suitable for classroom space.
Ohio Fair Schools Campaign, 94 Columbus Road
Athens, Ohio 45701
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