Issue 2 Early Vote Rally

Early Vote Flyer

In other early voting news, it appears that the effort to collect enough signatures to delay the implementation of HB194 has been succesful. HB194, among other things would have reduced the early voting period from about 5 weeks to 3. This naturally would have impacted the effort to repeal SB5 by voting NO on issue 2.

Ohio officials are preparing for early voting to begin on Tuesday for the Nov. 8 general election because a challenge to a new election-reform law is expected to put the law on hold today.

Even though House Bill 194 is scheduled to become effective on Friday, county boards of election have girded for the possibility that it will be delayed and the election will be conducted under current state law, which permits more time for absentee and in-person voting.
[...]
Once the signatures are turned over to the Ohio secretary of state, the new law automatically will be put on hold. The signatures then will be sent to the 88 county election boards to be validated, a process estimated to take 10 to 15 days. If Fair Elections Ohio comes up short after the county boards’ count, it would have 10 days to gather more signatures.
[...]
Among other things, the law cuts early voting from 35 days before the election to 21 days by mail and 17 in person. It also limits in-person voting before the election by barring it on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and the three days prior to the election. If House Bill 194 were to take effect on Friday, voting by mail would begin on Oct. 18; in-person voting on Oct. 22.

Why Vote Absentee?

By voting absentee you can

• Avoid lines on election day, which may discourage others from voting
• Avoid the cold and rain, or unexpected events that may make it harder
• Avoid any voting machine mishaps
• Let the We Are Ohio campaign concentrate on getting less enthused voters to the polls on election day

Once you have voted, it’s time to ask those in your friends, family and neighbors team to vote absentee! Locking in as many No on Issue 2 votes as early as possible is critical to success on election day!

You may request an Absentee Ballot by…
Using the application form prescribed by the Secretary of State (Form 11-A) to apply for your absentee ballot.

You may return your absentee ballot to the Board of Elections by…
U.S. Mail: the return envelope containing your marked ballot must be postmarked no later than the day before the election and received by the board of elections no later than 10 days after a special, primary or general election.

In person, either by you or an eligible family member: your marked ballot, which must be sealed in the completed and signed identification envelope provided with the ballot, must be delivered to the board of elections office no later than the close of polls on Election Day.


Note: No voted ballot may be returned to a board of elections by fax or email. If a voted ballot is returned by fax or email, it will not be accepted, processed, or counted.

Your absentee ballot must be received by the Board of Elections for your county before 7:30 PM on Election Day to be counted!

Full instructions for absentee voting can be found on the Ohio Secretary of State's website, here. A list of all the county boards of elections, their addresses, phone numbers and emails can be found here.

The Stability Of Ohio’s School Value-Added Ratings

The Albert Shanker Institute has an important analysis of Ohio's school report card data, and finds a large amount of instability in the results. This should cause some pause, especially as we move towards using teacher level value add data for high stakes decisions. To say it will be critical to have reliable, trustworthy, and stable data when making hiring/firing and salary decisions is an obvious understatement. If there are serious and genuine questions about building level data stability, then the rush to go further ought to at least have some brakes applied.

On the other hand, there’s a degree to which instability is to be expected and even welcomed (see here and here). For one thing, school performance can exhibit “real” improvement (or degradation). In addition, nobody expects perfect precision, and part of the year-to-year instability might simply be due to small, completely “tolerable” amounts of random error

Some people might look at these results, in which most schools got different ratings between years, and be very skeptical of Ohio’s value-added measures. Others will have faith in them. It’s important to bear in mind that measuring school “quality” is far from an exact science, and all attempts to do so – using test scores or other metrics – will necessarily entail imprecision, both within and between years. It is good practice to always keep this in mind, and to interpret the results with caution.

So I can’t say definitively whether the two-year instability in ratings among Ohio’s public schools is “high” or “low” by any absolute standard. But I can say that the data suggest that schools really shouldn’t be judged to any significant extent based on just one or two years of value-added ratings.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happening in Ohio. Starting this year, all schools that come in “above expectations” in any given year are automatically bumped up a full “report card grade,” while schools that receive a “below expectations” ratings for two consecutive years are knocked down a grade (there are six possible grades). In both cases, the rules were changed (effective this year) such that fewer years were required to trigger the bumps – previously, it took two consecutive years “above expectations” to get a higher report card grade, and three consecutive years “below expectations” to lose a grade (see the state’s guide to ratings). These final grades can carry serious consequences, including closure, if they remain persistently low.

As I’ve said before, value-added and other growth models can be useful tools, if used properly. This is especially true of school-level value-added, since the samples are larger, and issues such as non-random assignment are less severe due to pooling of data for an entire school. However, given the rather high instability of ratings between years, and the fact that accuracy improves with additional years of data, the prudent move, if any, would be to require that more years of ratings be required to affect report card grades, not fewer. The state is once again moving in the wrong direction.

Check out the entire article here.

Innovation Ohio highlight Issue 2 Pay, Perks and Hypocrisy

Innovation today released documents showing the hypocrisy demonstrated by those supporting SB5.

• Gov. Kasich, whose annual salary is $148,165 (over $10,000 more than his predecessor received), is exempt from the “performance pay” provisions of SB 5, and is still eligible to receive automatic annual 3% “step increases” that SB 5 would terminate for other public workers;
• Gov. Kasich, while repeatedly calling for cuts in the pay and benefits of state and local government workers, pays his own senior staff an average salary of over $110,000. And he has repeatedly fudged the numbers on what he pays all workers in his office. In April, he told the General Assembly that the Governor’s Office payroll was just over $4.8 million. But as of May 7, the actual figure was just over $5.4 million —12% more than what the Governor claimed;
• Gov. Kasich’s 27 Cabinet members earn an average base pay of more than $131, 000 and at least 22 of them each receive an additional $6,600 per year in “car allowances.” At least 7 Cabinet members are also ‘double dippers” who receive state pensions in addition to their government salaries;
• All Members of the Ohio General Assembly earn a base salary of $60,584 for working a part-time job (the average annual salary for all Ohio workers is just over $40,000). But among the 70 Representatives and Senators who voted for SB 5, just 8 earn that “minimum.” The other 62 receive “leadership bonuses” ranging from nearly $34,000 per year to $5,000 annually, with the average bonus being over $8,600. Sen. Bill Seitz of Cincinnati —the only current member of the Senate who does not receive a bonus and was in the Senate when the SB 5 vote took place —had his bonus taken away when he refused to support the legislation;
• Though fiercely critical of “double dipping” by other public workers, 12 House and Senate members who support SB 5 are themselves double-dippers (one is a triple-dipper), and collect legislative salaries in addition to state pensions. Perhaps the biggest single double-dipper in Ohio is House Speaker Bill Batchelder, who receives over $100,000 in a PERS pension, on top of his $94,500 annual legislative salary;
• Unlike regular Ohioans, who are prohibited by law from claiming “mileage reimbursements” for car travel to and from their principal places of work, Ohio House and Senate members voting for SB 5 collect an average of $3,361 per year for driving to the State House to do their jobs;
• Under SB 5, paid sick leave and vacation days would be reduced for average public workers. But General Assembly members enjoy unlimited paid leave for any reason whatsoever, subject only to the “approval” of the House and Senate leadership, whose approval is rarely, if ever, denied;
• Other perks for legislators abound, including thousands of dollars worth of free tickets to athletic events like football, basketball and baseball games, free meals, and other gifts.

The full litanty of hypocrisy can be found over at IO, here.

Courtesy of Ohio Capital Blog, here's video fo the press conference

Pictures & Canvassing 101

Canvassing 101

Door to door canvassing is the single most effective campaign tactic for persuading voters to support your cause and for motivating voters to turn out to vote. This is because the quick, face-to-face interactions are more memorable than impersonal communication like advertising or recorded phone calls.

Door to door canvassing is easy. At your canvass launch, you’ll meet a We Are Ohio organizer or other field staffer. They will have a sample script, which you can use to help guide your brief conversations, as well as some literature to give to voters and leave at the doors of those who are not home. You will also receive a list of voters and their addresses, a map of your walking area and directions from the launch location to your walking area. You’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you have and get the cell phone number of your organizer in case questions come up while you are out in the neighborhood. Canvassing normally takes about 2 to 2.5 hours.

Door to door canvassing is something that just about anyone can do. You don’t need to be a policy expert or veteran campaign volunteer, because many of the very best canvass volunteers are folks who don’t get lost in arcane policy details. New canvassers can start out with experienced canvassers, going to the first doors together until you get the hang of it. Then, you can divide the neighborhood and each knock on doors on one side of the road or split up the streets and meet at the end.

Door to door canvassing is rewarding. There is nothing like walking away from a home and knowing that you’ve picked up a vote we would have never otherwise earned. Some voters don’t yet know that Issue 2 is Senate Bill 5, and many voters don’t know the basics of how Issue 2 is unsafe, unfair and hurts us all. You’ll probably even run into a few voters who don’t know that the election is this November.

Door to door canvassing is highly effective. Studies and scientifically rigorous research experiments show that canvassing is many times more effective than phone-banking or recorded calls and that volunteer, door-to-door canvassing can increase turnout by as much as 8%. In close elections, canvassing makes the difference. Asking family and friends to join you at a canvass is the best way to grow your door-to-door canvass team and make a significant difference in this campaign. There are 4 keys to building your team:

• Call other members, personally, when you expect them to be home. Sending emails and leaving voicemail messages doesn’t hurt, but they rarely result in members agreeing to join you. You have to call them or speak to them in person.
• Start by telling them about why you canvass and how you feel knowing that your efforts are making a difference. The level of enthusiasm that you convey is really important. This conversation is more about inspiring someone to take action on the core values they hold and less about simply conveying information.
• Assure them that they don’t need any special training or skills; they just need to care about defeating Issue 2 and protecting students and our communities.
• Ask them to try it once and join you. You must ask them to join you, not simply mention it and leave an open-ended invitation. If they can’t make the specific time and date that you are volunteering, ask them about another time or date that weekend and assure them that the We Are Ohio staff will take care of them. Experience shows us that nearly 90% of volunteers who canvass once will want to do it again during that election.

See how much fun folks at a recent canvas were having

[flickr set=72157627773128142]

The League of Women Voters of Ohio oppose HB136

In another blow to those seeking to privatize public education in Ohio, the non-partisan League of Women Voters of Ohio have come out in opposition to HB136

-The League believes that public money should be spent only on public schools that are accountable and responsive to tax payers and comply with standards that ensure a high quality education. Nonpublic schools are not accountable to the taxpayers through elected boards of education; are not required to “open their books” to ensure that the schools are fiscally responsible and that public funds are being spent to serve a public purpose; are not required to serve all students; and are not required to comply with the same operating, teacher licensure, performance, and accountability standards as public schools.

-In addition, Am. Sub. HB136 would divert public funds to private schools (and increase Ohio’s obligation to educate students in private schools) when state funding for public schools will decrease by $1.8 billion over the biennium (HB 153 – Amstutz), and many school districts are cutting programs, laying-off teachers, and preparing to ask voters to increase local taxes to support schools.

The League believes that public education is the cornerstone of our democratic government and prepares students to be active and informed citizens in our society. That is why securing and financing a high quality public education system based on meeting standards, accountable to the public, and available for all students, is so important.

The League also issued these other important points

• Am. Sub. HB 136 would divert limited state funds to participating private schools at a time when school districts are struggling to balance budgets and save education programs after losing $1.8 billion in state funds as a result of HB153 the biennial budget.
• Private schools are not responsive or accountable to elected boards of education. They are not required to "open their books" to ensure that the private schools are fiscally responsible and that public funds are being spent to serve a public purpose.
• Eligible students currently enrolled in eligible private schools could opt to be phased-into PACT, thus expanding the state's obligation to educate students who never attended public schools, at a time when overall state funding for school districts has decreased, and school districts are struggling to maintain the quality of their education programs.
• Am. Sub. HB 136 does not require private schools that accept public funds to participate in Ohio's accountability system for schools and be ranked along with other schools, or comply with all state education standards including academic, performance, and operating standards, or meet the requirements outlined in Chapter 3323 of the Ohio Revised Code, the Education of Children with Disabilities.

Worthington School Board passes resolution opposing HB 136

The Worthington School Board passed a resolution opposing HB 136 earlier this week. Four of the five board members voted in favor of the following resultion

WHEREAS, the Ohio House of Representatives is currently considering legislation that would significantly expand the availability of vouchers for students to attend private or parochial schools; and

WHEREAS, this legislation would entitle any public school student in Ohio to request and to be granted, as a matter of right, a voucher, subject only to a family adjusted gross income of $102,800 or less; and

WHEREAS, the bill provides that students already enrolled in private or parochial schools would be eligible for such vouchers; and

WHEREAS, students receiving vouchers would be able to retain any excess funds when the cost of tuition is less than the value of the voucher for use in any private school or college in Ohio; and

WHEREAS, the operation of the proposed program would take dollars directly from the already financially-beleaguered local public school districts resulting in fewer resources for the education of the remaining students;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Worthington Board of Education does hereby express its opposition to this legislation, HB 136 School Choice; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Treasurer be directed to spread this Resolution upon the minutes of the Board of Education and that copies of the resolution be forwarded to members of the Ohio House of Representatives.