I’ve worked in the field of public education for nearly 28 years. It is a field that I’ve dedicated my professional life to, and its future is in significant jeopardy because of political polarization. I should note that before I’m a school superintendent, I am a 52 year old white dude who was raised by a single mom within a working class community on the westside of Cleveland. I come from a family of democrats who were steel workers, coal miners and car builders. I was on government assistance when I was younger. We didn’t have much money and life wasn’t easy, but we had love. I tell you these things, not to gather your sympathy, but to let you know who I am, where I come from and that I’m a public education success story. Public education helped me to become the person that I am. I am a husband, father of 3 kids who graduated from public schools, and I’m an Ohio voter that is a member of the majority party in my state. I am fortunate enough to work in a district with an incredible Board of Education that supports my outspokenness, and I do not take that for granted. Presently, I am very, very concerned for public education in our state, and it has never been more apparent in my life that statements like “country before party” or “principles before party” ring true. Public education is in serious trouble in Ohio and I would appreciate it if you read what I have to say, and consider it.

“Absolute power tends to corrupt & absolute power corrupts absolutely.” -Lord Acton

I was never politically active as a young person, and do not consider myself to be politically motivated (famous last words right?). While politics have certainly been at the front and center in education and represent something I need to consider when making decisions, I’ve always believed that boards of education and those that function as school superintendents should operate with two things in mind–how do our decisions impact ALL students, and do the decisions or policies that I support help me to inspire and empower the students that are impacted by my decisions.

With gerrymandered political maps in place, the last election in Ohio has created a supermajority in our state. This means that the “ruling party” (in this case the Republicans) has the necessary votes to create veto proof legislation. Some see this as an opportunity to “finally get things done,” however as Lord Acton said– “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Proposed Ohio Senate Bill 178 is a Bad Idea

We are in a lame duck session in Ohio and outgoing State elected officials are going to look to rush legislation through. Up first is Senator Bill Reineke’s Ohio Senate Bill 178 which seeks to keep in place the “form” of the Ohio School Board, the State Superintendent and the Ohio Department of Education, but completely remove their substance–the primary reasons these groups were created. SB 178 seeks to rename the Department of Education as the Dept. of Education and Workforce. The bill would create a Director of Education who would be appointed by the Governor.

Reineke’s move is the political nuclear option to change it all and determine how education would be governed and run in our state. It’s a shrewd political move because it doesn’t violate Article 6, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution, but serves as an example of absolute power corrupting absolutely. Remember we are in a lame duck session and this individual is seeking to fast track a bill that would disintegrate the “will of the people.” When I voted for who I wanted to represent me for the Ohio School Board position, I voted under the guise that the person would be in charge of helping to determine the policies, rules, and responsibilities that would guide education in our state. In addition, when I voted for the Governor, I didn’t vote for the person to be the “educational czar of Ohio.” We the people of Ohio need to speak up and let our representatives know that they need to be more honest and patient when it comes to this level of reform. Yes reform needs to occur, however the current velocity and magnitude of SB178 is a very bad idea. Changes should be vetted rather than steamrolled through.

Prediction of What’s to come in 2023: An End Around Attempt to Ohio Constitution Article VI, Section 2

Article 6, Section 2 has been in place since 1851 and it states–“the General Assembly shall make such provisions, by taxation, or otherwise, as, with the income arising from the school trust fund; will secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the state; but no religious or other sect, or sects, shall ever have any exclusive right to, or control of, any part of the funds of this state.”

This article in our State Constitution doesn’t say “the money follows the kid” or “parents get to use public dollars to choose private religious schools.” It says create a thorough and efficient public school system and no religious or other group should have any right to the control of those funds. That seems pretty clear to me. This section of the Ohio Constitution will again be a headline that you will read about in the coming weeks and months. There’s a lawsuit that over 100 districts have filed to defend that section of the Ohio Constitution. If you’ll recall the DeRolph case in Ohio found that the Ohio General Assembly did not deliver on what the Ohio Constitution requires–the “funding a thorough and efficient system of common schools” part (4 times it was found unconstitutional). While the Governor’s budget has more money for public ed than it ever has, it still does not deliver on thorough and efficient. Moreover, the bipartisan funding formula that so many people spent time and energy on was only partially funded in the Governor’s last budget. That bipartisan formula needs funded at the level that it was designed in order to determine if it indeed meets the “thorough and efficient” test. With the political supermajority that will be in place with the next Ohio Congress, full public school funding through that bipartisan formula will be in jeopardy. Here’s why:

Matt Huffman will be President of the Ohio Senate. Senator Huffman is “the voucher guy.” Huffman believes public tax dollars that are collected in Columbus should be used to pay for your neighbor’s choice to send his or her son/daughter to a private, religious school. Derek Merrin from Monclova Township will be the new House Speaker. Derek is also a school choice guy. So the conditions of expanding the use of public funds for a private education are set because the leader in the House, and the leader in the Senate are both in favor of further expanding the school voucher program. Both get to determine what is discussed and voted on in their respective establishments. The voucher program uses public dollars to fund subsidiary educational options. Options are fine. Who doesn’t like options, just don’t take the resources that are earmarked for public schools as required by the Ohio Constitution to fund subsystems and options. If legislators want to do this, they should try to change the Ohio Constitution. Put the language on the ballot and let the people of Ohio decide if they are ok with funding secondary and tertiary systems of schooling. If they say, “yes” then I’ll sit down, be quiet and look to relocate.

I do not have a problem with religion or private schools. I studied scripture and was confirmed in my church long ago. The current system does allow parents to have choices. You can choose to send your student to a common set of public schools funded by the citizens of Ohio as the Ohio Constitution requires, or you can choose to opt out of that required system and privately send your student to participate in something else (i.e. a private school, a religious school or you can home school). What shouldn’t happen is funding other systems when the system bound by law to fund isn’t being funded at the level it is supposed to be because you don’t like that system. It would be like me saying, “I don’t like the public park system, I want the portion of my taxes that I pay for public parks to go towards my Cedar Point pass.” Or, I’m not pleased with the __________ system as defined by the Ohio Constitution so I think we should create a secondary system and pull taxpayer money to fund it. There are billions of tax dollars at stake when it comes to the education of Ohio’s children.

The obligation under the Ohio Constitution is to fund public schools, however a group of politicians have highjacked the system and they’ve created several subsidiary systems because they are convinced public education is broken (although they’re using a telescope rather than a microscope to diagnose the problem). They think that competition (competition is great…bring it on) is the way to help raise the tide so all the educational boats can rise. They will tout school choice as the saving grace to help all of the poor black, indigenous, persons of color have the ability to get out of a broken educational system. What they ignore are the facts. 1–The majority of students taking vouchers are white and many never stepped a foot into their local, public school systems and 2–socio-economic conditions that exist within many communities that do not do as well on the current state report card compared to my school district have greater challenges which impact the very metrics they use to come to the conclusion that a school is good or bad (yes…test scores…the system is rigged and the BS is institutionalized).

Should proposed Senate Bill 178 get through Ohio’s Senate and House, it will be the beginning of the end for how public education is guided in our state. This coupled with further voucher expansion that most certainly will be on the table now that a single party owns the House and Senate will be the final crushing blow.

Public education is in very big trouble and Ohio’s citizens need to help preserve it by speaking up and speaking out. We need to pay attention and get activated.