Advocacy
Be an Advocate for Opportunity!
Having a variety of educational options and settings for Ohio students doesn’t happen by accident. Despite growing evidence of the value of education options, there are organizations and individuals dedicated to eliminating opportunities for families to find and select the setting that works best for their child. Without your voice, opportunities may disappear.
Even though there is some opposition, education choice continues to enjoy broad public support. Recent polls, 2019 Education Next Poll, 2019 Schooling in America Poll and the National School Choice Poll conducted by the Democratic polling firm Beck Research, all indicate a substantial percentage of Americans and a majority of parents support school choice and options for all students.
Recent poll results are encouraging. Still, the availability of education options depends on continued advocacy. More than ever before, your voice, your story, highlights the importance of this issue.
Becoming an Advocate
Becoming an advocate is as simple as one-two-three.
ONE: Get the facts. Learn what options Ohio offers and how those options help families find what works best for their child. If you’re a parent or student, share your story. School Choice Ohio can help you find the information you need.
TWO: Make your message clear and concise. If you have 30 seconds to explain why education choice is essential, what would you say? What would you want people to do once they’ve heard your story? Don’t let myths and misinformation go unchallenged.
THREE: Look for opportunities to share your story. Talk and write to policy-makers such as local and state school board members and members of the state legislature. Submit letters to the editor to local media outlets. Keep the conversation going.
Contact Information
State Board of Education oversees academic standards, school performance, compliance with laws and regulations, and administers the state’s scholarship programs. The Board includes 19 members, 11 elected members, and eight members appointed by the governor. The Board employs the State Superintendent for Public Instruction and provides oversight to the Ohio Department of Education
Maps of State Board of Education Districts and members’ contact information is available here.
The Ohio General Assembly consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Members of the Ohio House of Representatives serve two-year terms while members of the Ohio Senate serve four-year terms.
Not sure who represents you? District maps and search function for the Ohio House and Senate are available here.
If you have a question, please contact School Choice Ohio via email info@scohio.org. Include ‘advocacy question’ in the subject line.