Educators and retired educators.....you should know this...

From John Curry, September 3, 2013

But how many of you will bury your head in the sand and claim that politics has nothing to do with

your occupation or former occupation.......or, say you are just "too busy? "

ALEC Owns the Ohio Legislature 

By dianerav

August 18, 2013

ALEC, the extremist group that is funded by major corporations to protect corporate interests, has an amazing number of members in the Ohio legislature. That explains why the Ohio’s legislature keeps passing laws to privatize public schools.

Education is a top priority for ALEC.

ALEC strongly supports charter schools and vouchers.

ALEC loves virtual learning, because it diverts public dollars to pay corporations to enroll home-schooled students. The virtual charters get terrible academic results, but they are profitable and they undermine public education. To ALEC, that constitutes success.

ALEC hates unions, hates tenure, hates teacher certification, wants teachers to be at-will employees whose salary is tied to student test scores. 

Here is a post from Bill Phillis of the Ohio Education and Adequacy Coalition: 

466 American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) bills introduced in 2013: Legislator “scholarships” may be a factor  

8/13/13

A report by the Center for Media and Democracy identifies 466 ALEC bills introduced in state legislatures across the nation in 2013. 139 of these ALEC bills affect public education. 31 of these education bills became law this year.

Only seven states didn’t have an ALEC education bill introduced this year. To view the report: http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/8/88/ALEC_report_2013.pdf

ALEC is a champion of charter schools and voucher legislation and thus is geared toward starving the public common school. K-12 Inc., the nation’s largest provider of online charter schools paid its CEO Ron Packard $5 million in total compensation in 2011. Additionally, Packard owns millions of dollars in company shares, not a bad compensation package for a school superintendent. He is on the ALEC Education Task Force.

The Ohio Virtual Academy charter school is operated by K-12, Inc. Ohioans should recognize that tax dollars (deducted from school districts) are being used to support a superintendent’s salary of $5 million plus millions in company shares while many school districts are cutting essential programs and services due to lack of funds.

Money spent on advertising is another issue. This expenditure by for-profit charter schools is not only a slap at public school districts but it shortchanges educational opportunities for charter school kids.

Ohio taxpayers are subsidizing outrageous salaries and benefits of for-profit charter operators, and slick, expensive marketing. On average, charter schools spend twice as much per pupil on administration as traditional school districts.

An August 11, 2013 Columbus Dispatch article states, “About a third of Ohio House Republicans-including Speaker William G. Batchhelder-attended the American Legislative Exchange Council gathering last week at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.” ALEC provides “scholarships” for legislators to attend ALEC sponsored events. The Dispatch article cites a study by Common Cause and the Center for Media and Democracy that indicates Ohio legislators have walked away with $75,000 in ALEC “scholarships” to attend such events as receptions at professional baseball games, cigar parties and skeet shoots.

During annual ALEC meetings, corporate lobbyists and allied legislators get together to vet legislative proposals. One can bet the farm that the corporate lobbyists are not trying to convince legislators to focus their efforts on improving the public common school system.

Ohio Legislators with ALEC Ties (as of 2011) can be found at http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ohio_ALEC_Politicians 

Below is listing of some of Ohio’s state officials who are members of ALEC:

[For live numerical and text links, click here.] 

House of Representatives

Rep. John P. Adams (R-78)[1], State Chairman[2][3] andTax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member [4]

Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-3),[3] Communications and Technology Task Force Alternate[5]

Rep. Marlene Anielski (R-17), ALEC Education Task Force Member[6] 

Speaker William G. Batchelder (R-69), ALEC member[7] 

Rep. Peter A. Beck (R-67), ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Member[8] 

Rep. Terry R. Boose (R-58), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member [9] 

Rep. George J. Buchy (R-77) [10]

Rep. James Butler (R-37), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member[11] and Communications and Technology Task Force Alternate[12]

Rep. Timothy Derickson (R-53)[1]

Rep. Anne Gonzales (R-19), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member[13]

Rep. Cheryl L. Grossman (R-23), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Alternate[14] 

Rep. Brian Hill (R-94), ALEC Member[15]

Rep. Matt Huffman (R-4), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member[3]

Rep. Ronald Maag (R-35), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member[3][16]

Rep. Kristina D. Roegner (R-42), ALEC Education Task Force Member[17]

Rep. Cliff Rosenberger (R-86), ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Member[18]

Rep. Barbara Sears (R-46)[1], ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member[19]

Rep. Gerald L. Stebelton (R-5)[1], ALEC Education Task Force Member[20]

Rep. Michael Stinziano (D-25), ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Member[21] 

Rep. Louis Terhar (R-30), ALEC Member[22]

Rep. Andrew M. Thompson (R-93), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member[23]

Rep. Lynn Wachtmann (R-75), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member[3]

Rep. Ron Young (R-63), ALEC Member 

Senate

Sen. David Burke (R-26), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member[24] 

Sen. William P. Coley, II (R-4), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member [25]

Sen. John Eklund (R-18)[26]

Sen. Randy Gardner (R-6) [27]

Sen. Kris Jordan (R-19), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member[28]

Sen. Frank LaRose (R-27), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member [29]

Sen. Bob Peterson (R-17), ALEC Member[30]

Sen. William “Bill” Seitz (R-8), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force[31]Co-Chair, spoke on “Saving Dollars and Protecting Communities: State Successes in Corrections Policy” at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting[32]

Sen. Joseph W. Uecker (R-14)[1], ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member[33]

Former Representatives

Rep. Louis Blessing (R-29)[3] (replaced by his son, Louis W. Blessing, III, representative-elect) 

Rep. Danny Bubp (R-88)[1] 

Rep. John A. Carey, Jr. (R-87), ALEC Education Task Force Alternate[34] 

Speaker Jo Ann Davidson [35]

Rep. Dale Van Dyke [35]

Rep. Bruce Goodwin (R-74), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member[36] 

Rep. Casey Kozlowski (R-99), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member [29]

Rep. Jarrod B. Martin (R-70), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member[29][1][3]

Former Rep. Robert Mecklenborg (R-30), ALEC Member 

Rep. Craig Newbold (R-1), ALEC Member[37]

Rep. Pat Tiberi [35]

Rep. Todd Snitchler (Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio as of 2011)[1][3]

Rep. Ronald Suster (D) currently Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge. [38]

Rep. Tim Greenwood (R) currently outside counsel OH AG. [39] 

Former Senators

Sen. Robert. C. Cupp (R) currently sits on OH Supreme Court. [40] 

Sen. Grace L. Drake(R)[41]

Sen. Michael A. Fox. (R) was director Butler County Children’s services, currently serving prison term for corruption.[42] 

Sen. Tom Niehaus (R-14), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member[43]

Sen. Lynn Wachtmann [35]

One of the missions of ALEC is to replace the public common school system with private market-driven education thrift stores. Some Ohio legislators will press forward the concept of a voucher for every student. Read the next email from the E & A Coalition.

William Phillis

Ohio E & A