Tag Archives: school-choice

District superintendents see importance in putting students’ needs first

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Steve Dackin, Superintendent of Reynoldsburg City Schools, spoke out as a supporter of school choice at a panel discussion put on by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute on Friday.

Dackin shared some thoughts on school choice, saying that choice plays an important role in student success and parent satisfaction. He believes that schools need to start tapping into students’ passions and interests rather than focusing on a “one size fits all” education. One idea in particular that he said he aspires to is a version of an individualized education program (IEP) for every student in his district.

Reynoldsburg City Schools practices open choice, which allows students to attend the school of their choice within the district. The district offers many different options, including charter and STEM, giving families an array of choices when trying to find a great fit for their student. Dackin also addressed a critical element of choice: offering transportation to make it practical for a child to actually get to the school their family chooses.

Come to find out, a survey of 344 Ohio public school district superintendents conducted by the Farkas Duffett Research Group and Fordham found that Dackin is not the only district superintendent that is a school choice supporter. The survey found that there are other district superintendents from across the state who also support school choice.

Survey Says:
70% of district superintendents report that their districts have a total open enrollment policy

  • What it means
    District superintendents believe it is important for families to be able to choose the best learning environment for their students.

Survey Says:
59% of district superintendents believe that blended learning will bring fundamental changes for education

  • What it means
    One size does not fit all, and blended learning offers students the chance to mix technology and teacher-based instruction to create an education that fits their needs. District superintendents realize that individualized education is important for students to succeed and are working to bring it to their districts.

Survey Says:
2% of district superintendents support school choice in the form of vouchers and charter schools

  • What it means
    This handful of district superintendents support the right of parents to make the choice when it comes to the best education for their child. We couldn’t agree more! We applaud these pro-choice leaders who are putting students’ needs first.

The presentation and discussion ended with a conclusion from Dr. Richard Ross, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Ross stressed that Ohio needs to focus less on education as an institution and more on educating students based on their individual needs. According to Ross, education needs to be a portfolio of options for students, because they need choice and more options inside their schools.

It is great to see district superintendents from across the state voicing their support for school choice. We applaud these leaders that see the importance of putting students’ educational needs first.

Ohio to adopt career-tech report card

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Ohio’s State Board of Education is set to approve an A-F report card for career-technical schools, which will make Ohio the first and only state to issue a graded report card for career-technical education.

The career-tech report card is reported to be a “collaborative effort” between Governor Kasich’s office, the Board of Regents, the state board and a variety of career-technical education associations. It will provide five graded components, including:

    • Reading
    • Math
    • Four-year graduation rate
    • Five-year graduation rate
    • Post-career-technical education program placement

Also included in the report card will be one non-graded component, “Prepared for Success,” which will reflect student participation in earning early college credit. This will include:

  • Advanced placement
  • Post-secondary enrollment options
  • International baccalaureate
  • National standard college entrance test participation
  • Remediation-free attainment
  • Honors diplomas
  • Other college-career ready assessments

Like the local report card, the career-tech report card would use an A-F grading scale, and the additional components for graded and non-graded measures on the report card would phase in over the next three school years. As stated in House Bill 555, the first report card has to be published by Sept. 1, 2013 for the 2012-13 school year.

A career-tech report card is another great step in providing parents with as much information as possible, giving them the ability to make informed choices when it comes to their students’ education.

Rabbi A.D. Motzen 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 expanded school choice for more Ohio families. It was so great to see students, parents, school leaders and supporters from across the entire state come together to show their shared support for school choice.

At the rally, we were lucky to hear from some awesome speakers who wanted to voice their support for school choice.  We had the pleasure of hearing from Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Ohio regional director for Agudath Israel of America, who told the crowd that they need to “ask legislators the following questions: Will you please support giving all children in Ohio, regardless of their zip code, the opportunity to attend the school of their choice? As a parent, will you please trust me to decide what school is best for my child?” We think that’s great advice!

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

Kevin P. Chavous 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.

At the rally, we were lucky to hear from some awesome speakers who voiced their support for school choice.  We had the pleasure of hearing from Kevin P. Chavous, a national education reform leader, who told the audience that “the only way you see change is when the power is in the hands of parents!” We couldn’t agree more. Check out a video of Chavous’ speech by clicking on the picture below.

Accountability and voucher-accepting private schools

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Some people say that private schools that enroll a certain number/percentage of students who pay tuition using a state voucher should have a state report card just like public schools.

Those people are right. Parents are looking for information on the quality of their private school options, and private schools need to be accountable for the results of students funded by taxpayers. However, their report card solution is problematic for a number of reasons:

  1. The achievement of all students at a private school does nothing to account for their use of public funds. As taxpayers, our interest is in how students who are voucher recipients fare, compared to how they would have otherwise.
  2. Public school funding is estimated at around $12,000 per student and the maximum voucher amount is about a 60% discount at $5,000 on the high end. It is strange to imagine that a school that gets a portion of the funding would be subject to the same level of reporting.
  3. We know from national studies that the real impact of private school comes in higher graduation rates, which Ohio does not track for voucher recipients. That would be a welcome addition to the private school accountability rubric.
  4. Ohio already meets the national standards for voucher accountability:
    -All school voucher recipients take the same state assessment as their public school peers
    -The results of these tests are required to be posted online (separated by private school where it would not violate federal student privacy laws) for all the world to see

Whether there are some private schools that would want to buy in to the full accountability system in exchange for full funding is a conversation for another day.

For now, Ohioans can rest assured that private schools ARE accountable – not only to the state, but also to their parents because their families, tuition-paying or otherwise, are always free to vote with their feet if they see that their child is not succeeding.

It’s Time to Rally for School Choice!

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Governor Kasich recently proposed an exciting education reform plan that includes an income-based scholarship program that would help more Ohio families send their children to the school of their choice!

It’s time to show our support for Governor Kasich’s income-based scholarship program, and we need your help! School Choice Ohio invites you to the Ohio Statehouse for a massive rally to encourage Ohio’s leaders to support expanded school choice.

Rally for School Choice
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
11 a.m.
West Plaza of the Ohio Statehouse

We all know that when it comes to education, one size does not fit all. All children deserve a quality education, regardless of their income or zip code.

We rallied once before in 2011, and the support was overwhelming! This time we want a rally that is even bigger and better.

Come to the Ohio Statehouse on April 10th to show your support! If you’re interested in participating, sign up here today for more information. Simply include your contact information and the number of people you would like to bring to the Rally for School Choice. We hope to see you there!

How public is public and how exclusive is private?

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Education “cream-skimming” is the fear that certain schools (public or private) take the “best” students, and leave behind the students that can’t make the grade or have less motivated parents. Even though private schools can have selective admission, the dichotomy between private schools being so exclusive and public schools being so inclusive is not so stark as it might seem.

  • Yes, private schools can have selective admission … just like the suburban districts that charge the steep tuition of higher property taxes. Or the public magnet schools, which also have admission tests but with 3 times the money.
  • Speaking of money, private schools don’t have any. Most of them pay their teachers unbelievably low salaries already. So, no, they cannot serve all students who come to them. The large number of private schools that already participate in the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship in its first year demonstrates that private schools are happy to open their doors as much as they can when they are funded at appropriate levels to meet the needs of the students.
  • Often, the best public school students are doing just fine in their public schools and their parents are satisfied and not looking for a change.
  • Not all private schools have selective admission. Levels of selectivity vary among private schools, just like public magnet schools.

Not that money is all that matters by any means, but the state saves money on every voucher student because the scholarship amounts are 1/3 of public school funding levels. That’s a deal, regardless of the prior achievement level of the student.

On the other hand, states that mandate open enrollment policies for voucher-accepting private schools have seen the mix of voucher-receiving and tuition-paying parents at a school decline, which limits socio-economic integration.

State leaders do need to be careful to design programs so that they promote equity and help families break poverty cycles.

Badly-designed choice programs can exacerbate inequities rather than alleviate them. Take the example of a scholarship program that does not have any income limitations and only provides $1,000 voucher. There is no way that program is going to help many families of modest means because they won’t be able to cover the gap between private school tuition (usually $4,000/year for elementary and middle school) and the $1,000 voucher amount.

But Ohio’s programs are not designed that way. They promote equity by giving low-income families first priority for vouchers and requiring the private schools that enroll them to waive any tuition overages.

Ohio’s low-income students, who have been kept from a quality education because of their inability to control their families’ income, need the same opportunities as their higher income peers to receive an education that they deserve and will help them succeed.

School Choice Advocacy Days are a success!

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School Choice Ohio’s School Choice Advocacy Days were a huge success!

We invited people from all over the state to come to the Ohio Statehouse to meet with legislators. They shared their personal stories about why school choice is so important, and their support for expanding school choice to more Ohio families.

The members from the House of Representatives were happy to take time out of their day to meet with us, and discuss what school choice means for all of Ohio’s families. During the meetings, we also had the opportunity to share with Ohio’s leaders why Governor Kasich’s income-based scholarship program proposal is so vital for our state.

Representative Smith

We would like to give a big shout out to all of the moms, dads, students, teachers and school leaders who took time out of their busy schedules to make the trip here to be an advocate for expanded school choice. It’s important that we keep letting our legislators know why Ohio needs school choice and needs to expand it so more families can send their children to the school of their choice!

If you weren’t able to make it to one of the School Choice Advocacy Days, don’t worry! You still have a chance to advocate for school choice at our upcoming Rally for School Choice on April 10th. Interested? Sign up for more information here.

Representative Huffman

Representative Beck

Representative Driehaus

Representative Adams

School choice is important because all kids are different

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Recently, we announced the “I Love My School!” essay contest, and we were so excited to see how many responded!

In celebration of National School Choice Week we will reveal one of the winners from the contest each day this week. Check back every day to see if your “I Love My School!” essay was chosen as one of our winners.

Suzanne Rivera is our winner! She sent in a parent essay to tell us why Grand River Academy is a good fit for her son. Read Suzanne’s essay below.

When our children were small, we did not think much about school choice. They attended our local neighborhood public schools and we assumed they would continue to do so through high school.

As our son approached junior high, he began to struggle academically and his behavior changed. He became rebellious and stopped caring about school. Our relationship with him deteriorated. We tried counseling and other supportive interventions but things just got worse. It was painful and frightening to watch our child, who previously had been a straight-A student with a happy disposition, become withdrawn, angry, and apathetic about his own future.

We moved him to a private day school for ninth grade, but the problems escalated. In addition to getting poor grades, our son began taking the kinds of risks that made us fear for his safety. We knew he needed a big change.

Fortunately, we learned about the Grand River Academy (GRA) in Austinburg, Ohio. This unique all boys boarding school, tucked away in rural Ashtabula County, was a life saver for our son and for us.

The school houses only about 100 boys from all over the country and the world. Every student has a story to tell about the road that led him to GRA. Many have attention deficits that made it hard to concentrate in a traditional classroom setting. Others had chemical dependencies or disciplinary issues. Some were struggling socially and just needed a more nurturing environment.

Regardless of why they come to GRA, all the students there benefit from its unusual mix of structure, consistency, logical consequences, opportunities to experience success, and an abundance of positive reinforcement for constructive decisions. Boarding allows the school to reinforce its expectations around the clock in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in the dining hall, and in the dorms. Most teachers live on campus with the boys, creating a family atmosphere away from home.

In short, GRA really helped turn our son around. He entered with a terrible attitude and little interest in college. After 3 years, he has been captain of the soccer team, has written award winning articles for the local newspaper, and recently was elected student body president. To our delight, he has dramatically improved his grades and did well enough on the SAT to be courted by numerous colleges. As I write this, we await news on 2 of his “early action” college applications.

School choice is important because all kids are different. A one size fits all approach may be fine for some, but once we realized our son needed a change of environment, we knew the greatest gift we could give him would be a high school that could get him back on track to a bright future. The decision was not easy, but we are so fortunate to have had the option.

Some people might read this and think, “I could never send my kid away.” At one time, we thought so, too. Although we worried we would lose our son by sending him to boarding school, nothing could be further from the truth. Our son was lost before. GRA helped him to rediscover the person he always was capable of becoming. The school returned our son to us and for that we will be eternally grateful.

Governor Kasich proclaims it School Choice Week in Ohio

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governor's proclamatino

Governor John Kasich has prepared a resolution officially recognizing January 27 – February 2, 2013, as School Choice Week in Ohio. Check out the full text of the resolution below!

Whereas, Ohio has long been a pioneer in the realm of school choice; from the first convening of the Governor’s Commission on Educational Choice in 1991, with the message to Ohio’s parents: you do have a choice in finding the best education for your children; and

Whereas, The Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program, which began in 1995, was among the first in the nation to offer a private school tuition voucher to students in a struggling urban district, and in 2010-2012, 5,000 students attended private schools with state-funded scholarships through this program; and

Whereas, Ohio created a system of charter/community schools in 1997, giving parents statewide options for education without tuition and very few carriers to access, and today, charters/community schools serve 99,720 students throughout the state; and

Whereas, in 2003, the Ohio Autism Scholarship Program was created, becoming the only voucher program in the United States to focus solely on the educational needs of children with autism, and today, this program is still unique in the U.S. and is serving 2,000 students statewide, and the new Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship was created in the 129th General Assembly with the capacity to serve up to 12,000 additional students this year; and

Whereas, the Ohio EdChoice Scholarship was created in 2005 to provide private school tuition vouchers to students in underperforming public schools anywhere in the state, and in 2011-2012, the program provided 15,400 students with scholarships; and

Whereas, traditional public school choice has been around even longer than all of the above options, with open enrollment between public school districts beginning in 1989; and

Whereas, by observing National School Choice Week in Ohio, out citizens can truly recognize that Ohio is front and center in the important work of giving all children access to a quality education.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, John R. Kasich, Governor of the State of Ohio, do hereby recognize January 27-February 2, 2013 as SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK throughout Ohio and call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.

On this 27th Day of January, 2013;

John R. Kasich
Governor