Attached you will see a draft resolution that will be brought forward at the new business portion of our meeting next Tuesday, March 13th.  The resolution if adopted would express that the State Board of Education is in complete opposition to H.B. 512.

I am a co-sponsor of this resolution and can be reached at:

pat.bruns@education.ohio.gov. or 513.310.8953

DRAFT RESOLUTION

A RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO H.B. 512, OF THE

132nd OHIO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, REGULAR SESSION, 2017-2018

Member District 10, Nick Owens

WERECOMMEND that the State Board of Education ADOPTS the following resolution:

WHEREAS, we, the members of the State Board of Education affirm our constitutional charge to provide general supervision of the system of public education in Ohio. This system of education is a shared vision and responsibility with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the General Assembly, the Governor and education stakeholders throughout Ohio to ensure all students are well-prepared for success, for college and career readiness; and

WHEREAS, Article VI, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution, since its adoption in 1953 by the citizens of Ohio, states that there shall be a State Board of Education, which shall appoint a Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the respective powers and duties of the Board and of the Superintendent shall be prescribed by law; and

WHEREAS, the Ohio General Assembly, pursuant to Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Section 3301.07, has granted the State Board of Education policy forming, planning and evaluative functions for all public schools of the State of Ohio; and

WHEREAS, the State Board of Education provides the proper balance between state control and local education autonomy to maximize educational benefits for all of Ohio’s primary and secondary students; and

WHEREAS, such state educational policy decisions should be decided by representatives of the people they serve; and

WHEREAS, members of the State Board of Education stay in constant communication with students, parents, teachers, educational administrators and affiliated stakeholders through in-person meetings, community events, school visits, emails, phone calls, text messages, social media, and numerous other methods of communication, and as such serve as the direct voice to the Ohio Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, members of the State Board of Education are a unifying voice for solutions to the problems that severe poverty and trauma bring to the classroom, particularly in urban and rural settings; and

WHEREAS, members continuously lead robust discussions on how to achieve academically rich, healthy, safe and supportive learning environments so students can graduate ready for a successful future in their chosen paths of life; and

WHEREAS, the State Board of Education in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education during the past seven months has engaged with more than 150 partners through the education community including but not limited to pre-kindergarten to 12th grade educators, higher education officials, business leaders, philanthropic organizations, local community members, and the Ohio General Assembly to create a comprehensive strategic plan for the entire State of Ohio; and

WHEREAS, the State Board of Education and Ohio Department of Education through the tireless leadership of Superintendent Paolo DeMaria has developed an inclusive, collaborative, and unifying stakeholder model for educational policy development as exhibited through the submission of Ohio’s Consolidated Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to the United States Department of Education; the establishment of the Graduation Requirements Workgroup which has resulted in additional graduation pathways for Ohio’s current Seniors; the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on Assessments which has resulted in the reduction of statewide mandated assessments; the recent formation of a working group of stakeholders to fully analyze the Ohio School Report Cards in the Accountability and Continuous Improvement Committee; and most recently the State Board of Education and Ohio Department of Education Draft Strategic Plan Process for statewide stakeholder meetings that begins tomorrow, March 14, 2018; and

WHEREAS, the State Board of Education believes Ohio’s primary and secondary educational system, which includes more than 1.7 million students and 240,000 educators working throughout 3,500 school buildings across the state shall be one of partnerships amongst all statewide policymakers which leads to transformative learning opportunities and achievements for all students in our state and as a result will allow Ohio’s students to become the next generation of innovators and influencers who will go on to change the world—just as those who built our state’s incomparable legacy; and

WHEREAS, on February 14, 2018 in the House of Representatives of the 132nd Ohio General Assembly, H.B. 512 was introduced which would effectively consolidate the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation into a new mega state agency called the Department of Learning and Achievement which would be under the sole authority of the Governor of Ohio; and

WHEREAS, if such legislation was enacted into law it would fully eliminate the current structure of collaborative partnerships and policy development of educational stakeholders throughout Ohio; and

WHEREAS, the State Board of Education desires to make known publicly its opinion of H.B. 512; and

SO NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the State Board of Education through its inherent authority vested under Article VI, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution and Ohio Revised Code 3301.07 HEREBY states it is in complete opposition to H.B. 512 of the 132nd Ohio General Assembly and as a result instructs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to communicate this resolution as the official position of the State Board of Education.