School Choice Ohio Blog

Jeff Murray is trying to find the best education possible for his two girls. A struggle for many families across the entire state, he wants an education that helps his daughters excel, helps prepare them for college and beyond. However, it’s not always easy to find.

As a parent, Murray knows that it is his job to give his two girls the best foundation possible for their  education in order to help them succeed. When he and his wife finally think they have found the perfect educational setting for their daughters at a STEM middle school, they’re deeply disappointed when they realize their fate is left up to the lottery process.

Yesterday, I spent all day hitting the Refresh button on my email account. Probably 653 times. Why? Because the one school that we wanted for our children for next year was to announce its lottery results to those lucky few who would be chosen. 12 or 13 slots for sixth grade, out of an application pool of several hundred (wish I knew exactly how many).

On click number 653 we got the news at last: Our numbers didn’t hit.

Read the rest of Murray’s post, “Losing the school choice lottery and what it means for one family,” here.

Coleman, Gee pitch Columbus school proposal to legislators
The Columbus Dispatch
May 22, 2013
State legislators have begun discussing a new bill that, if passed, could require district tax money to be shared with charter schools and the creation of an independent auditor to investigate district operations. Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee and others gave support for the proposal, citing that it would improve education in the city. The bill currently only deals with Columbus, but some wonder if it will spread to other districts across the state.

Legislator’s plan would provide preschool vouchers for 22,000
The Columbus Dispatch
May 17, 2013
Senator Peggy Lehner, a Republican leader on education policy, wants to create a $100 million voucher program that would allow thousands of low-income Ohio children to attend preschool over the next two years. The program would be able to fund vouchers, each worth $4,500, for 22,000 students.

IN OUR SCHOOLS: A look inside the future of education
The Cincinnati Enquirer
May 21, 2013
Cincinnati Public Schools is introducing two new educational programs, New Tech and Carpe Diem, in an effort to increase enrollment and expand the choices it offers to students. Each program has already been implemented in Indianapolis and so far has a history of good results. In Cincinnati, both programs will be located on the Aiken High School campus in College Hill when its new building opens in August.

Educators, legislators aren’t on same page on Ohio school reforms
The Columbus Dispatch
May 17, 2013
A survey conducted by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and New York-based FDR Group revealed a wide gap between Ohio school superintendents and legislators in regards to what policies will have the most impact on schools. More than half of the state’s superintendents completed the survey, and, according to Fordham’s Vice President of Ohio Policy and Programs Terry Ryan, the results underscore the need for more discussion between lawmakers who enact policies and educators who implement them.

On May 7, Representatives Andrew Brenner (R – Powell) and Bill Patmon (D – Cleveland) reintroduced legislation that would create a Tax Credit Scholarship Program for Ohio’s kids. House Bill 158 was introduced with 15 bipartisan co-sponsors, and it is currently awaiting discussion in the Ohio House Education Committee.

Under the proposal, individuals, married couples or certain businesses that donate to nonprofit Educational Scholarship Organizations would be eligible to receive a dollar-for-dollar, nonrefundable tax credit. Educational Scholarship Organizations would then use the donations to help provide scholarships to low-income students to attend a private school.

Credits would be limited to $1,000 annually for individual donors, $2,500 for married couples and up-to $300,000 for other taxpayers, such as businesses or utilities. Credits could be carried over for up to three years before they expire.

Educational Scholarship Organizations that receive the donations would have to contribute at least 90% of the donations it receives toward scholarships for eligible students who reside in Ohio, are eligible to attend a public school and whose family meets certain financial eligibility requirements. At least 50% of the scholarships awarded each year would be required to go to students who do not currently attend a private school.

The scholarships would be worth up to $4,250 for grades K-8 and up to $7,000 for grades 9-12 each year. Families that are awarded scholarships could use them to cover the cost of tuition at any participating private school.

We are excited to hear about this proposal for a Tax Credit Scholarship Program for Ohio’s kids. We completely support it, and we’re going to need your help to get it passed! Please contact the members of the Ohio House Education Committee and encourage them to support the passage of House Bill 158.

To read House Bill 158 or learn more about it, click here.

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 got to hear from some awesome speakers who wanted to voice their support for school choice. Senate President Keith Faber addressed the crowd and encouraged empowerment for parents to be able to make decisions on what kind of education is best for their children.

We completely agree with Senator Faber. No one is better suited to choose the best learning environment for their child than parents themselves.

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

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.

EdChoice Scholarship recipient Walter Woodard presented testimony to the Senate Education Finance Subcommittee, yesterday. His testimony shares his personal educational journey and the impact the EdChoice Scholarship has had on it.

Governor Kasich’s income-based scholarship program proposal would give kids just like Walter the same opportunity to receive an education that fits their needs. With this proposed scholarship, families across Ohio could send their kids to the school of their choice, regardless of their income level.

Read excerpts from Walter’s testimony below.

Hello, my name is Walter Woodard, and I am one of the many that have been impacted in a positive way through the EdChoice Scholarship. After the second grade, I was put in a different school every year because I never could find one that was right for me. I was a kid being raised without a father, and I was diagnosed with ADHD. Things got very complicated and unbearable. I felt like no one truly understood what I was dealing with, and I had no one to go to with my problems. There were many times when I would come home from school with torn clothes, missing buttons and shoelaces and multiple bruises.

We never really understood what to do until one day we got a phone call telling us that the current school I was attending was on academic emergency and that I could possibly qualify for the EdChoice Scholarship. After looking at new schools, we found Tree of Life Christian and instantly it became my home. I got held back a year because I didn’t test high enough on the acceptance test. I attended my sixth grade year and have been there ever since. Now, almost five years later and one year away from graduation, my life has completely turned around in ways I cannot describe. I have found so many qualities within myself that I have never seen before. I also have been nominated multiple times by classmates and teachers to be on the student council and in various leadership roles.

There is no true way to describe how the EdChoice Scholarship has changed my life for the better, but what I can say is that without it I wouldn’t even be close to the young man that I have turned into. I am not only testifying, but I’m also encouraging everyone to go into the schools and see exactly what it is we are fighting for and how this scholarship truly helps people. By doing this, it may encourage everyone to fight even harder for education for everyone.

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.

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.

According to data from the Ohio Department of Education, students using scholarships to attend private schools are outperforming their public school counterparts on the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT).

The students who are receiving scholarships would have been assigned to attend the state’s lowest-rated public schools. The data compares their test scores with the test scores of their public school peers who come from all buildings, including those rated Excellent and Excellent with Distinction.

In four of the state’s largest school districts – Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton – School Choice Ohio compared the OGT scores of scholarship students with the scores of students in local public schools. Overall, in these four districts, scholarship recipients performed, on average, 11 percent better in math, 20 percent better in reading and 24 percent better in science.

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

• 59.9 percent of students received a grade of proficient or above in reading compared to 85.4 percent of Cleveland scholarship recipients, a difference of 25.5 percent.

Columbus City School District

• 48.5 percent of students received a grade of proficient or above on the state science assessment compared to 88.9 percent of EdChoice students in the district, a difference of 40.4 percent.

Dayton City School District

• 62.3 percent of students were rated as proficient or above in math compared to 81.4 percent of EdChoice students in the district, a difference of 19.1 percent.

Cincinnati Public School District

• 78.8 percent of students were found to be proficient in reading compared to 90.5 percent of local EdChoice students, a difference of 11.7 percent.

As these numbers demonstrate, when students are in a school that is a great fit for their learning needs and they are given the opportunity to improve, they can succeed academically.

This is why the proposed income-based scholarship program, included in House Bill 59, is important to so many families across Ohio. Parents are tired of seeing their children fall behind, even in non-failing school districts, and they want the ability to provide them with a quality education – they just lack the means to do so on their own.

Today, our Legislative Director Jason Warner testified in front of the Subcommittee on Education in support of House Bill 59, which includes the proposal for an income-based scholarship program. This scholarship would ensure that many more students across the state have access to a quality education.

Read excerpts from Warner’s testimony below.

Now more than ever, it is important that our educational system give everyone an opportunity to succeed. Students today need to acquire the skills necessary to be ready for college or a career. Studies show that the sooner we can begin to make this impact on students, the better prepared they will be in the long term for academic success.

House Bill 59 contains a strong slate of parental choice expansions that will help move our state in the right direction of preparing our students for future success. As Governor Kasich noted in his State of the State address on February 19, “Education unlocks the future.” The proposals contained in House Bill 59 will help to ensure that more students in Ohio have access to a quality education.

Because the EdChoice Scholarship is restricted to a failing schools model, there are still many families of students who are struggling in school districts that are not among the bottom 10% of public schools, but whose schools are still not a good fit for them. Families who lack the means to send their children to a private school or move to a different school district have to see their children trapped in a school that they know is not serving them and not preparing them to excel in the 21^st century.

The proposals contained in House Bill 59 will address these limitations and extend the opportunity of school choice to many more families throughout Ohio. Governor Kasich has proposed to extend the existing EdChoice Scholarship Program to include an income-based scholarship for lower-to-moderate income families to have the same opportunities many other families in the state already enjoy.

This is an essential progression in the evolution of Ohio’s educational choice movement. For the first time, we are recognizing that choice should not be limited to where a student lives, but also if the family possesses the financial ability to provide an education they believe is best suited to their child’s needs. This represents an important step forward in providing hope and opportunity to thousands of families across Ohio and we encourage your support of this expansion.