Source:
The Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators
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State Board of Education President Laura Kohler, Superintendent Paolo DeMaria and Renee Willis, superintendent of Richmond Heights City Schools, discussed the development and implications of the board's summer resolution on racism and equity during a virtual Cleveland City Club forum Friday. The board voted in July to adopt the "Resolution to condemn racism and to advance equity and opportunity for black students, indigenous students and students of color" in the wake of nationwide protests over racism and police conduct sparked by the death of George Floyd. The resolution inspired lengthy debate and drew public criticism and praise at board meetings for months.
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While K-12 school funding overhaul HB305 (Cupp-Patterson) passed the House with broad bipartisan support, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) said the bill is promising but likely lacks the clarity and urgency necessary to pass the upper chamber during the lame duck session. This comment came during a Zoom budget forum hosted by G2G Consulting that also included House Assistant Minority Leader Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) and Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) Director Kimberly Murnieks. Murnieks said Gov. Mike DeWine has been clear that he is committed to wraparound services for students, and those programs will be funded in some form in the administration's budget recommendation.
--------- Sen. Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard), one of many co-sponsors for the Senate version of the Cupp-Patterson school funding plan, said questions about the full price tag and the lost work time from the pandemic are factors in the chamber's deliberations on it, but she expressed optimism about its prospects. Kunze joined Reps. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) and Phil Robinson (D-Solon) and school finance expert Howard Fleeter at a Cleveland City Club virtual forum Monday to discuss the plan, passed by the House in HB305 (Cupp-Patterson) and pending in the Senate Finance Committee as SB376.
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The Franklin County judge overseeing remaining assets for the defunct Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) has approved the state's proposal to settle claims against the former school treasurer in exchange for her assistance in the case against school founder William Lager. Attorney General Dave Yost's office filed a motion last month for approval of a settlement with Michele Smith that would dismiss claims against her and her bonding company in exchange for her assistance in helping the state press its claims against Lager.
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The Thomas B. Fordham Institute unveiled a new report Thursday suggesting Ohio's current school funding system may not still be unconstitutional. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled 23 years ago in DeRolph v. State of Ohio that the state's school funding system violated Section Six, Article II of the Ohio Constitution which has a "thorough and efficient" clause. However, the report's author, Aaron Churchill, research director for the Fordham Institute, questioned whether it is still fair to characterize Ohio's current funding arrangement as unconstitutional given all the changes that have taken place over two decades.
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The Educator Evaluation Systems information on the Ohio Department of Education's Reset and Restart webpage has been updated to reflect the changes and flexibility granted by HB 404. |
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Founded in 1901, Ohio PTA is the oldest and largest volunteer organization in the State of Ohio focusing on the health, welfare, safety, and education of children and youth.