Hey, OEA.....WHERE WERE YOU????

From John Curry, June 5, 2010
Does one note the conspicuous absence of the OEA in the statement below by CTU official, Meryl Johnson, or....am I the only one???????? Where were you, OEA?????????

John

"Where was The Plain Dealer in 2001, when several education groups, including the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio AFL-CIO, the Ohio School Boards Association and the Ohio PTA, filed a lawsuit charging that Ohio's charter school law is unconstitutional because, among many other reasons, the new schools operate with little oversight by local school boards and taxpayers?"

http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2010/06/plain_dealer_largely_silent_ov.html

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From Rich DeColibus (former president of the Cleveland Teachers Union) June 5, 2010

Plain Dealer largely silent over the years on charter school abuses; thanks for taking a stand now

By Other Voices

June 4, 2010

Kudos and best of luck to the 10 charter school boards that have filed a lawsuit against White Hat Management, David Brennan's for-profit charter school company. As a result, The Plain Dealer finally decided to make recommendations on desperately needed changes to Ohio's charter school legislation.

But where was The Plain Dealer back in 1999 when the Akron Beacon Journal's series "Whose Choice?" brilliantly chronicled how Brennan used his political ties to push a pro-charter school agenda, which in 2004-05 awarded him profits of $4.16 million on revenues of $116.95 million (Education Voters, November 2008)? And while the profits continue to flow into Brennan's pockets, school buildings close and teacher and paraprofessional layoffs occur.

Where was The Plain Dealer in 2001, when several education groups, including the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio AFL-CIO, the Ohio School Boards Association and the Ohio PTA, filed a lawsuit charging that Ohio's charter school law is unconstitutional because, among many other reasons, the new schools operate with little oversight by local school boards and taxpayers? The majority Republican Ohio Supreme Court ruled against them in 2006.

And where was The Plain Dealer when the Education Voters Institute produced a very detailed report in 2008 that included the following statements: 1) Charter schools are allowed to group significant types of expenditures under a single category called "administrative expenditures"; and, 2) the state's taxpayers now provide more than $586 million annually to support charter schools?

Those courageous charter school board members will have a hard time getting a victory; Brennan and his wife "gave a combined $733,000 to state candidates and Republican organizations in 2007, including $400,000 to the Ohio Republican Party" (Plain Dealer Politics Blog, July 1, 2008). But I am pleased that The Plain Dealer finally decided to do what it should have done many years ago -- responsible editorial writing.

Meryl Johnson, Cleveland

Johnson is the director of community engagement for the Cleveland Teachers Union