Schuring and Fedor fight last minute giveaways to charter schools; OFT vigilant

"This lame duck session is not like any other I've seen," he said. "There's a lot of last-minute stuff swirling around the Statehouse dealing with substantial policy issues without the appropriate due process." Sen. Kirk Schuring
Legislators fight late amending of H.B. 79

Canton Repository, December 14, 2006

By Paul E. Kostyu

Copley Columbus Bureau Chief

COLUMBUS A Republican from Stark County and a Democrat from Lucas County teamed late Wednesday to try to stop amendments affecting charter schools from being added at the last minute to pending legislation.

State Sen. Kirk Schuring, R-Jackson Township, and Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, urged lawmakers not to use House Bill 79 as a charter school bill. That came after they heard rumors Wednesday that amendments are being considered.

House Bill 79, which passed the House and Senate, requires criminal background checks for educators. A conference committee is to meet at 9 a.m. today to negotiate differences between Senate and House versions. It's the first time the committee will have met, even though it received the bill in February.

Fedor said adding amendments "will only be creating further problems for the charter school system in relation to Ohio's overall education system."

"We need to ... fully debate in the full light of day the current status of our charter schools and how to reform them," she said.

Schuring and state Rep. Scott Oelslager, R-North Canton, have pending bills (Senate Bill 129 and House Bill 213) that tackle accountability of charter schools. Both bills have languished in committee since their introduction in April 2005. Last week, they introduced updated versions.

Schuring said those bills should be the vehicle to change how charter schools operate.

"We need serious deliberation on comprehensive reform before we make changes ... that may create further loopholes for bad actors without providing real reform and oversight for community schools," Schuring said.

Lisa Zellner, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Federation of Teachers, also said she heard about possible amendments. The teachers union and other members of the Coalition for Public Education back Schuring's and Oelslager's bills.

The two bills "would create more accountability, academic and fiscal, that would make sure charter schools are held accountable," she said.

Schuring said the rumors about amendments were enough to cause him concern.

"This lame duck session is not like any other I've seen," he said. "There's a lot of last-minute stuff swirling around the Statehouse dealing with substantial policy issues without the appropriate due process."

Reach Copley Columbus Bureau Chief Paul E. Kostyu at (614) 222-8901 or e-mail: paul.kostyu@cantonrep.com