Education News for 03-12-2013

Local Education News

• Columbus schools' cuts won't be so deep (Columbus Dispatch)

The Columbus school board will have to cut $15 million -- not the $25 million it thought it needed to reduce -- from its budget, the district announced this afternoon…Read more...

• Dublin schools’ new leader gets less pay, benefits (Columbus Dispatch)

The Dublin school district will spend less on its new superintendent than on his predecessor, even with a benefits package that equals about half of the new superintendent’s salary…Read more...

• Columbus schools cancel big cuts as $25 million error found (Columbus Dispatch)

A week ago, Columbus schools Superintendent Gene Harris warned that the budget ax might chop the length of the school day, eliminate bus rides…Read more...

• Board gets high school busing update (Newark Advocate)

High school busing has been more popular with students then previous estimates, Transportation Supervisor Jason Kee told the Newark Board of Education…Read more...

• Wauseon schools to eliminate 4 teachers (Toledo Blade)

Wauseon Exempted Village Schools Board of Education members on Monday approved almost $400,000 in budget cuts, which includes the elimination…Read more...

Stretching the Truth, Not Dollars

Earlier in the year the Fordham Institute released a report "Stretching the School Dollar - A Brief for State Policymakers", that contained 15 right-wing ideological reform ideas, some of which we are currently seeing being implemented in Ohio.

1. End "last hired, first fired" practices.
2. Remove class-size mandates.
3. Eliminate mandatory salary schedules.
4. Eliminate state mandates regarding work rules and terms of employment.
5. Remove "seat time" requirements.
6. Merge categorical programs and ease onerous reporting requirements.
7. Create a rigorous teacher evaluation system.
8. Pool health-care benefits.
9. Tackle the fiscal viability of teacher pensions.
10. Move toward weighted student funding.
11. Eliminate excess spending on small schools and small districts.
12. Allocate spending for learning-disabled students as a percent of population.
13. Limit the length of time that students can be identified as English Language Learners.
14. Offer waivers of non-productive state requirements.
15. Create bankruptcy-like loan provisions.

Some familiar stuff, mostly centered on teacher bashing and erosion of the profession. The National Education Policy Center took a look at this Fordham report, and let's just say their findings were not kind.

One category I might have included above is that at least two of the recommendations embedded in the report argue for stretching the school dollar, so-to-speak, by effectively taxing school employees. That is, setting up a pension system that requires greater contribution from teacher salaries, and doing the same for health care costs. This is a tax – revenue generating (or at least a give back). This is not stretching an existing dollar. This is requiring the public employees, rather than the broader pool of taxpayers (state and/or local), to pay the additional share.

Below is the report in full.

Unproven and Unsubstantiated Dollar- Stretching State Policies

We send letters

We just sent the following letter to each of the 33 Ohio State Senators. We'll report their answers as we receive them.

Dear State Senator,

With the Ohio House of Representatives passing HB153 and the debate moving to the Senate, I am writing you to enquire what your position is on a number of items in this bill. Specifically

(1) Do you support or oppose the expansion of charter school provisions and the easing or oversight?

(2) Do you support or oppose the teacher merit pay provisions that eliminate the current framework of compensation and contracts and replace it with an untried evaluation system?

(3) Do you support or oppose the cuts in over all funding levels for K-12 public education?

I would be very interested to learn your thoughts on these important issues.

Many thanks,
Join the Future