Beacon Journal: HB79 & SB311 'New bills trouble school leaders'

From RH Jones, December 21, 2006

Subject: HB79 & SB311 "New bills trouble school leaders".

To all:

Today's Akron Beacon Journal, Front Page, 12/21/06, article "New bills trouble school leaders," "Increased graduation standards, vouchers will hurt districts' budgets" by Stephanie Warsmith.( Reporter Warsmith was at the first meeting at our STRS when the STRS board & employee excesses were exposed to the public by a few courageous STRS members.)

Warsmith reports that Gov. Taft still has to sign the bills. The continuation of the article appears on Page A10 and it lists how the politicians voted. I will quote it:

How they voted

Here's a breakdown of how local legislators voted on two education bills approved Tuesday:

House Bill 79 -- Vouchers and charter-school provisions and other education issues.

Yes: Reps. Chuck Calvert, Jim Carmichael, Bob Gibbs, John Hagan, William Healy II, Robert Otterman, John Widowfield and Brian Williams. Sens. Ron Amstutz and Kevin Coughlin.

No: Reps. John Boccieri, Kathleen Chandler, Scott Oelslager, Barbara Sykes. Sens. Robert Hagan, Kirk Schuring and Kim Zurz.

Not voting: Rep. Mary Taylor

Senate Bill 311 -- Ohio Core higher graduation standards.

Yes: Reps. Calvert, Carmichael, Gibbs, Hagan and Taylor. Sens. Amstutz, Coughlin and Schuring.

No: Reps. Boccieri, Chandler, Healy, Oelslager, Otterman, Sykes, Widowfield and Williams. Sens. Hagan and Zurz.

My thinking on these bills is that they are hurtful to the STRS Ohio and Gov. Taft (GOP) should not sign them. I can not understand why some Democrats voted yes on HB 71? Especially those in my District #41. If the Reporter Warsmith is correct, and I think she is, Reps. Bob Otterman and Brian Williams voted for HB 79! I can understand GOP Rep. Kevin Couglin voting for it -- He has traditionally voted against anything that would be of a help to retired public school teachers. But, I can not understand why in the world would STRS retired members Reps. Otterman, and Williams, vote for it? In the best interest of public schools, issues with vouchers & charter schools in them should be voted against. Period!

And, SB311, I am happy to see that Democrats of my area: Otterman, Sykes, Williams, at least, voted against this unfunded mandate. A 50% retired teacher issues voting average just does not add up, however. Otterman and Williams should have been in the math class that my beloved excellent 7th grade teacher, Anna Shean, taught me at Akron's Lincoln School. Voting half right, is not right. They have some explaining to do. Barbara Sykes does not. She voted right on both issues. She knows her math!

RHJones, a voting Constituent in Distr. 41 of Otterman, Skyes & Williams.

Also, a life member of OEA/OFT, ORTA, & a proud CORE lifer.

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Posted on Thu, Dec. 21, 2006
Akron Beacon Journal
New bills trouble school leaders Increased graduation standards, vouchers will hurt districts' budgets

By Stephanie Warsmith

Beacon Journal staff writer

Two education bills passed by the state Legislature Tuesday have local school leaders worried about their cost -- both in funding and loss of students.

One bill would expand the state's voucher program to more than twice the number of schools statewide that are now eligible, including buildings in Akron for the first time.

The other, called Ohio Core, would raise graduation standards, which school leaders are concerned will prove expensive -- probably requiring the hiring of more teachers.

``It seems like another unfunded mandate.'' said Marva Jones, the Canton City school district's interim superintendent. ``We are for higher standards for our students. I'm worried about the funding.''

Akron Superintendent Sylvester Small said districts ``will be left holding the bag.''

``We now have to say, `What do we have to cut in our system to pay for Core,' '' Small said. ``As far as I can see, there's no money attached to it for us.''

The two bills were among a long list of legislation approved Tuesday as state legislators attempted to wrap up for the year. The House and Senate approved the legislation that included the voucher expansion Tuesday evening.

The House signed off on Core Tuesday evening, with the Senate following suit several hours later.

Both bills still need Gov. Bob Taft's signature to become law. That probably won't be a problem for Core, which was the cornerstone of Taft's final State of the State address. He released a statement Wednesday calling its passage ``a victory for the students of Ohio.''

Mark Rickel, Taft's spokesman, said the governor will ``take a close look'' at the bill with the voucher expansion.

The voucher expansion would make students in 236 Ohio schools eligible for tuition to attend private schools -- up from 99 now.

Previously, students qualified for vouchers if they attended a school that was in academic watch or academic emergency -- the equivalent of a D or F on the annual state report cards -- for three consecutive years. The legislation changed this to schools in academic watch or academic emergency for two of the previous three years.

Students up to eighth grade receive vouchers of $4,250, while high school students get $5,000. The voucher money -- plus the state's cost of administering the program -- is deducted from the school district.

Locally, 16 schools in Akron, Canton and Alliance are on the voucher list. The schools in Akron are Lincoln, Margaret Park and Schumacher elementaries and Innes, Jennings, Kent and Perkins middle schools. Canton's schools are Allen, Barbara F. Schreiber, Belden, Belle Stone, Dueber, Gibbs and Youtz elementaries and Hartford Middle. The Alliance school is Northside Elementary.

U.L. Light Middle in Barberton, Timken High in Canton and Alliance Middle are in the voucher program this year. All three would have dropped out next year because of improved academic performance but the new rules will keep Timken and Alliance Middle on the list.

Jones thinks the state's continued expansion of the voucher program is unfair for districts, which often -- as was the case this time -- have no chance for input into these decisions.

``We didn't have any warning that this was even a possibility,'' she said. ``Everybody here in Canton City Schools has been working so diligently. It's just like a change of rules at the end of the day.''

Jones said only about 2 percent of Timken students took advantage of the vouchers, and she hopes a similar low number would use them under the expansion.

``I can't say that we're not worried,'' she said. ``We feel confident that we work hard, and it's paying off.''

Small said he thinks the voucher program is ``designed for urban districts to lose students.''

``This is the second expansion in less than one year,'' he said. ``They haven't even seen if it's worthwhile. Why the big rush?''

Regarding Core, Small said he favors higher graduation standards but thinks the legislature needs to provide the funding needed to meet the tougher requirements. He said the district hasn't yet determined the increased cost because the legislation has been changed so much.

Core requires high school graduates planning to attend most state universities to complete four years of math, including Algebra II, four years of language arts and three years of science classes that involve laboratory work.

Small took issue with how dropout-recovery programs such as the Life Skills charter schools operated by Akron entrepreneur David Brennan are exempted from the Core requirements. He said more students could end up leaving Akron high schools to go to Life Skills, where they won't have as rigorous a class load.

``If the point is for all students to have higher standards, why the exemption?'' he asked. ``Why create a sub-diploma?''

Small called the exemption ``anti-Core.''

``Will it encourage more kids to drop out?'' he said. ``That's in exact opposition of Core.''

Bob Tenenbaum, a spokesman for White Hat Management, which operates Brennan's charter schools, said the Life Skills schools cater to students who have dropped out, or are close to dropping out, and it would be unfair to require them to meet the higher standards in Core.

``Anything that makes it possible for them to get a diploma is beyond where they would have been,'' he said. ``That does not mean there should not be standards and we should not be accountable. The same standards do not make sense, given the nature of the population.''

Tenenbaum pointed out that the voucher expansion bill requires the State Board of Education to make legislative recommendations for performance standards for dropout-recovery programs.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.