Refreshing to hear bipartisan support from lawmakers

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At the American Federation for Children’s Policy Summit in Washington D.C., a pair of Ohio lawmakers participated in a panel discussion, The Fight for Educational Choice in State Capitols. Ohio Representatives Bill Patmon (D-Cleveland) and Anne Gonzales (R- Gahanna) both shared stories about why they became advocates for school choice and also discussed what is currently happening in Ohio to ensure that more parents have the opportunity to choose the school that is the best fit for their child.

Representative Patmon

Representative Patmon at first was a staunch opponent of school choice. He became a proponent, however, after witnessing the decline of the Cleveland Municipal School District in the early 90’s as a member of Cleveland City Council. As a member of city council, he worked with the Ohio legislature to give the mayor’s office control of the school district and to create the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program.

Since joining the Ohio General Assembly in 2011, Representative Patmon has helped to pass legislation to eliminate the Cleveland Scholarship’s parent co-pay, an original part of the program, and is currently a joint-sponsor of legislation that would create a Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

Representative Gonzales

Representative Gonzales became a school choice supporter after her son endured bullying at school. She grew fed up with her well-performing public school when the school administrators failed to address the bullying and decided to withdraw her son from the school because of it. She then chose to enroll him in a private school.

Representative Gonzales said she was lucky that her family could make the decision on their own to send their son to private school, because many families out there do not have the means to make a similar decision. She joined the Ohio House in 2011 and, this past spring, joined others in support of the passage of the proposed income-based scholarship.

Overall, it was refreshing to hear from lawmakers across the nation, Republican and Democrat, liberal and conservative, who all shared the common belief that school choice should not be a partisan issue. School choice should be about doing what is right for students everywhere and giving parents the means to choose the education that is the best fit for their students’ unique learning needs.

Parent advocate Tera Myers speaks at Rally for School Choice

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A couple months ago, nearly 2,000 school choice supporters gathered at the Ohio Statehouse to rally for school choice at the Rally for School Choice. We were so excited to see students, parents, school leaders and supporters from across the entire state join together to show Ohio’s leaders just how important school choice is to all of us.

Despite the wind and the rain, parent advocate Tera Myers stood strong and addressed the crowd at the rally to share her family’s story and voice her support for school choice. She told us that because of Ohio’s wonderful representatives and caring individuals, all three of her children have a choice in where they attend school.

Check out a video of Tera’s speech below.

Like Tera’s family, we want all families across the entire state to be able to choose where their children attend school. With Governor Kasich’s proposed income-based scholarship, 2,000 kindergarteners would be given the opportunity to attend a quality school that’s right for them. The scholarship is very close to becoming a reality, so it’s time to get prepared. Make sure you fill out the form here to stay up to date on the scholarship and be among the first to apply!

School Choice and Education News

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Ohio

Coleman asks legislators for tweaks on charters
The Columbus Dispatch
June 13, 2013
Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman has asked the state legislature for tweaks on a bill, which was based off recommendations from his education commission, to ensure that charter schools don’t automatically receive windfalls of local property-tax dollars. The proposed bill currently offers no maximum on how much money could go to any single charter school, but only mandates that the property-tax collection be divided among the partnering charters, regardless of how many of them there are.

CPS school model wins national award
The Cincinnati Enquirer
June 10, 2013
Cincinnati Public Schools’ Community Learning Center model earned an Award for Excellence from the National Coalition for Community Schools. Community Learning Centers allow community partners, such as businesses, non-profits, etc., to provide “wrap-around” services to students, including tutoring, dental clinics, eye care, meals and after-school programs. In Cincinnati, 34 of the 55 public schools have been designated as Community Learning Centers and there are more than 600 partners involved.

Cash helps turn dropouts into graduates
The Cincinnati Enquirer
June 9, 2013
School leaders from Dohn Community High School are attributing its record number of graduates this year in part to a new incentive program, which awards students money for good attendance. The program was funded by the Eater Seals and a private donor, and it was geared toward getting students to come to class. The school, whose students are mostly low-income and have dropped out of other schools, graduated 71 students this past May. The biggest graduating class before this was 47 students.

National

Branstad signs bill to expand tax credits for private school scholarship donations
The Des Moines Register
June 11, 2013
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed into law legislation that would now allow businesses as well as individuals to be able to take advantage of a tax credit for contributions to private school scholarships and make more money available for the credits. The legislation would expand Iowa’s already existing school tuition organization tax credit, raising its annual cap from $8.75 million to $12 million.

Rhode Island school-choice bill draws lively debate
The Providence Journal
June 12, 2013
In Rhode Island, a bill that would create a program that would let parents use public dollars to send their children to a school that best fits their educational needs has drawn both support and opposition. According to the Providence Journal, under the bill, the cost of sending children to school in their home district could be used to offset the cost of a private school education. The program would apply to about 68% of Rhode Island’s 143,000 public school students.

Proposed income-based scholarship: getting the word out

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We are quickly approaching the end of June and what could be the start of the application window for the proposed income-based scholarship program, which would expand school choice to 2,000 kindergarteners, regardless of their zip code, whose families’ income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

The application window for the proposed income-based scholarship would likely open on July 1 and run through July 31 – just a few short weeks away. This means that we need to start spreading the word to all eligible families in the event that it becomes a reality.

To make things easier, we have already created an income-based scholarship flier and parent FAQ sheet that you can use. Just click the flier or parent FAQ sheet below, and feel free to print them off and share them with your family, friends, neighbors or colleagues and hang them up around your area. We must let eligible families know that they could now have a choice when it comes to their children’s education, no matter what their income or zip code is!

Interested in staying informed on the income-based scholarship? Want to be among the first to apply? Simply fill out the form here, and we will keep you in the loop!

Representative Bill Patmon speaks at Rally for School Choice

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A few weeks ago, almost 2,000 school choice supporters gathered at the Ohio Statehouse to rally for school choice at the Rally for School Choice. We were so excited to see students, parents, school leaders and supporters from across the entire state join together to show Ohio’s leaders just how important school choice is.

We’re happy to say that all the support and advocating for school choice is paying off. The Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate have both voted to pass the proposed income-based scholarship program. This means that we are a huge step closer to expanding school choice by making this scholarship a reality!

At the rally, we were lucky to hear from some great speakers who share our strong support for school choice. When Representative Bill Patmon addressed the crowd, he expressed the importance of fighting for our children’s future, because “we have to make sure they can get an education, it’s the most important thing we can do for them.”

We could not agree more with Representative Patmon, and we are ready to start fighting for these children’s education! Are you ready to join the fight, too?

Check out a video of Patmon’s speech by clicking on the picture below.

Ohio Department of Education announces Schools of Honor

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With the release of the final 2011-2012 Local Report Cards, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) announced a new program called Schools of Honor. The program identifies schools that continue to reach high achievement and significant progress while serving a large number of economically disadvantaged students.

Built upon and associated with ODE’s Schools of Promise program, which recognizes high achievement among all students in schools with at least 40% enrollment from low-income families, the Schools of Honor Program acknowledges High Performing Schools of Honor and High Progress Schools of Honor.

High Performing Schools of Honor – Distinguishing Characteristics: 

  • Scored in the top 10% of schools for combined reading and math proficiency
  • Had no subgroup performance below 75%. Subgroups include students with disabilities and English language learners
  • Met or exceeded a 90% graduation rate (for high schools only)
  • Met or exceeded the Ohio Value-Added measure of student growth in the most recent year
  • Had a Local Report Card rating of Effective or higher
  • Met Adequate Yearly Progress

High Progress Schools of Honor – Distinguishing Characteristics:

  • Scored in the top 10% of schools as ranked by gains in student achievement in reading and math during the previous five-year period
  • Made the highest gains in increasing graduation rates (for high schools only)
  • Met or exceeded the Ohio Value-Added measure of student growth for the three most recent years
  • Had a Local Report Card rating of Effective or higher
  • Met Adequate Yearly Progress

We would like to congratulate the ninety Schools of Honor across Ohio for this huge success!

School Choice and Education News

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Ohio

The state budget: Senate OKs $61.7B bill; conference comes next
The Columbus Dispatch
June 7, 2013
Yesterday, the Ohio Senate passed its two-year, $61.7 billion budget. Included in the budget is a major expansion of vouchers that can be used toward private school tuition. Vouchers would now also be available to 2,000 kindergarteners next year whose family’s income falls below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the budget will be rejected by the House next week so it can go to conference committee, where the two chambers will make final additions and work out differences by the end of the month.

Lawmakers applaud plan to fix Columbus schools
The Columbus Dispatch
June 5, 2013
A Senate committee examining a bill intended to help Columbus City Schools applauded local leaders who testified in support of it. The bill, labeled by some as “the Columbus Plan,” would require Columbus schools to place two ballot issues before voters, which include a levy request that could require schools to share taxes with charter schools and a ballot question to establish an independent auditor. The bill passed through the Ohio House last week, and most senators on the committee seem to support it as well.

State senator wants open-enrollment review
The Cincinnati Enquirer
June 2, 2013
Senator Tom Sawyer, D-Akron, has introduced a new bill that would request a statewide review of open-enrollment policies. Senate Bill 123 was presented earlier this month and would require a comprehensive study of open enrollment practices throughout Ohio. Seven other state senators, including the head of the Senate Education Committee, are co-sponsoring the measure. No votes or hearings for the bill have been held yet.

National News

Nation’s Graduation Rate Nears a Milestone
Education Week
June 6, 2013
A new study from the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center has found that the U.S. graduation rate reached almost 75 percent for the class of 2010, the most recent year that data is available, which is its highest point since 1973. The study showed that the rate has risen nearly 2 percentage points from the previous year and 8 points in the past decade. At this current pace, the graduation rate could exceed the historical high of 77.1 percent in the next few years.

‘Personal Learning Environments’ Focus on the Individual
Education Week
June 5, 2013
The New Media Consortium’s 2012 K-12 Horizon report has listed a new educational model called “Personal Learning Environments (PLEs)” as a key ed-tech trend to watch. PLEs are relatively new, flexible and individualized to the needs and interests of each learner. They can consist of both digital and nondigital resources and can be viewed as a process that works to help organize the influx of information and resources that students are confronted with daily.

Ohio Senate Passes Income-Based Scholarship Program

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We are thrilled to share some exciting news out of the Ohio legislature with you. Today, the Ohio Senate passed House Bill 59, the state budget bill, that includes the creation of an income-based scholarship program!

We proudly stand with thousands of families across the state today to applaud the Ohio Senate for supporting a budget that includes Governor Kasich’s proposal to create an income-based scholarship program.

For the first time, our state is recognizing that choice should not be limited to where a student lives, but also if the family has the financial ability to provide an education that is the best fit for their child’s learning needs.

For those of you who joined us on the Statehouse lawn to rally in support of this program, your voices were heard loud and clear. For those of you who called, emailed or wrote your legislators in support of this program, you made a difference. It is because of your support and the support of our elected leaders in the Senate that we can confidently take a giant step toward making this program a reality for Ohio families.

If you or someone you know wants to be among the first to apply for this program if it becomes a reality, please fill out the form at this link, and we will let you know as soon as the application window opens.

Now, the Senate’s version of the budget will go to the Ohio House. The House will likely send the budget to a conference committee during which time members of the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House will discuss any differences they have. Once the conference committee has completed its work, the budget will go to Governor Kasich for his signature.

So, while today’s vote in the Ohio Senate is not the final victory, it puts us one important step closer to making this program available to Ohio families this fall.

We will be sure to keep you informed as the state budget progresses, and we hope that today you will join us in celebrating this great step toward making this program a reality.

 

School Choice Ohio testifies in support of Tax Credit Scholarship Program

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Yesterday, School Choice Ohio’s Legislative Director Jason Warner testified in front of the House Education Committee in support of House Bill 158, legislation for a Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

The Tax Credit Scholarship Program, introduced with bipartisan support, would add Ohio to the growing list of states that offer a nonrefundable income credit against the income tax or certain business taxes for taxpayers who donate to nonprofit educational scholarship organizations.

Read excerpts from his testimony below.

Tax credit scholarships afford families of limited means the opportunity to send their children to a private school, without the use of public tax dollars. Instead, qualified families would have the opportunity to apply for scholarships provided by nonprofit educational scholarship organizations, or ESOs, to attend a participating private school. These scholarships are funded through donations made directly to the ESOs by individuals, married couples or business entities, which then would have the opportunity to apply for a nonrefundable income tax credit.

House Bill 158 is modeled after the very successful Florida Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship program. The Florida program, implemented in 2002, was created with the stated goal of encouraging private, voluntary contributions to nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations, the expansion of educational opportunities for children of families with limited financial resources and the enabling of children in Florida to achieve a greater level of excellence in their education.

School Choice Ohio believes the successes that have been realized in Florida and the ten other states that have tax credit scholarship programs, including our neighboring states of Indiana and Pennsylvania, can be replicated here. Organizations such as the Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund already provide limited scholarship opportunities to students and will testify to the fact that they look forward to the opportunity to reach more families of limited means to provide their children with the quality education that is currently beyond their reach.

School Choice Ohio strongly encourages your favorable support of this important legislation. It would provide greater access to quality education to students throughout the state of Ohio. The program would provide a lifeline to families of limited means so they can provide their children with a quality education that is best suited to their individual learning needs.

Read Warner’s full testimony here.

Apprenticeships offer in-demand skills, on-the-job training

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Currently, America is facing a critical shortage in skilled workers in many industries, but apprenticeships can help change this.

Apprenticeships offer people the chance to learn in-demand skills that can lead to employment and a rewarding career. According to the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council, part of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, Ohio has more than 900 registered apprenticeship programs that can give people on-the-job training and the high-level skills that are required to be successful in today’s workplace.

A registered apprenticeship provides full-time work during the training period, decent wages, quality instruction and an avenue to job security. Each program involves a minimum of 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 144 hours each year of related technical instruction. Once the program is completed, graduates will receive a certificate that is recognized across the entire U.S.

Registered Apprenticeships: The Logistics

  • Must be 18 years old to participate
  • Most programs require a high school degree, vocational school diploma or a GED
  • Average starting wage is $11/hour
  • Some programs charge fees for tuition and equipment, but financial assistance is available

Industry Sectors Participating in Registered Apprenticeships: 

  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Energy
  • Information technology
  • Manufacturing
  • Military
  • Government
  • Utilities
  • Service and retail
  • Social services and health care
  • Telecommunications
  • Transportation

For a list of registered apprenticeships in Ohio, visit http://jfs.ohio.gov/apprenticeship.