OAESA ADVOCACY UPDATE

 

Advocacy Update

Please contact your legislator regarding Senate Bill 358 Senate Bill (SB) 358 was introduced a bit over a month ago, but to this point, it has made no movement after three hearings before the Senate Education Committee. Our organization, along with the Ohio School Boards Association, Buckeye Association of School Administrators, Ohio Association of School Business Officials, and Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators, provided proponent testimony for SB 358 before the Senate Education Committee members on September 2, 2020. That testimony can be found here.   Contacts with local legislators are needed now, urging them to push for the adoption of this important legislation! Please call your House and Senate members this week with these talking points in support of SB 358:   Schools and students are facing tremendous challenges during the Coronavirus pandemic and need relief from state mandated tests, staff evaluations and report cards. As many schools continue to utilize remote learning in some form, in-person assessments may not be feasible; the state superintendent should be permitted to provide alternative options. SB 358 should be amended to stop payments for NEW vouchers deducted from public school districts; school district funding has been frozen at 2019 levels and due to the Coronavirus, funding has been cut even further. The State’s EdChoice voucher program was not affected by state cuts and the number of vouchers has increased this year.   Legislators need to hear a groundswell of concern from educators and school leaders about these issues. Please take the time to make a phone call and send an email to your own legislators urging them to pass SB 358. Don’t let them be completely distracted by the election and other pending legislation before they address this education legislation.   Feel free to contact us with questions or if you need help making contacts.   Barbara Shaner, OAESA Advocacy Specialist barbaracshaner@gmail.com