Budget bill mirrors SB5 attacks on teachers

As we reported last week in our budget analysis, the budget bill contained stealth provisions that mirror some anti-teacher provisions in S.B.5. The Dispatch reports on this move

A movement might be brewing among top Republicans that could thwart a referendum on Senate Bill 5 well before Ohioans have a chance to vote on the controversial issue.

Gov. John Kasich and House Speaker William G. Batchelder are exploring a plan to include at least some of the just-passed law's provisions in the state budget, which probably won't be passed until late June.

It's notable that Republicans played all manner of legislative shenanigans to pass S.B.5 before April 6th in order to avoid a referendum on the 2012 ballot, when not only their attacks could be thrown out, but them too. Now it seems they may be inviting just such a challenge by placing S.B.5 language in the budget bill.

This might explain some of the rather cagey responses the Governor and Speaker gave

"I don't want to get into what I want to do, what I don't want to do, because then I might have to retract," Kasich said. "I think Senate Bill 5 passed; obviously, there is going to be a referendum. The House and the Senate has to work its way.

"I've submitted my budget, there will be some language on the teacher assessment, and outside of that, we'll see what the legislature does."

Asked about putting pieces of Senate Bill 5 in the budget, Batchelder, R-Medina, said on Tuesday that "these things happen."

"I don't want to make a guesstimate about it at this point. There are a number of things we are looking at, that being one."

Asked again today, the speaker said: "I guess the direct answer would be yes, but I don't know why that would happen. I think it has enough budgetary implications ... on the other hand, I don't think the governor has thought about it."

That's a lot of words and not much clarity. Almostl ike they have just been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date as this situation develops.

Chillicothe educator named Foreign Language Teacher of the Year

Some good news, and congratulations!

Debbie McCorkle has been recognized by the Ohio Foreign Language Association (OFLA) as Ohio’s 2011 World Language Teacher of the Year. McCorkle is a national board certified teacher of French at Unioto High School in Chillicothe, and she is a former recipient of OFLA’s Leona Glenn Award for Outstanding High School World Language Teacher. Last month, McCorkle represented Ohio in Indianapolis at the regional World Language Teacher of the Year competition. The contest was part of the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Top 3 Today

Your top 3 news stories for today

1. EDUCATION CUTS SHOULD BE A WAKE UP CALL
   We discuss the impacts reckless budget cuts are having on school districts around the state
2. Kasich appoints anti-union lobbyist to State Board of Ed
   Plunderbund highlights the news of anti-union lobbyist Bryan Williams being appointed to the State board of Education, at the same time his organization holds a massive fundraiser for SB5 supporters, a fundraiser that also includes a lecture by an anti-union extremist.
3. Governor Wants Parts Of Disputed Union Bill Placed In State Budget
   Debate over a new state law that restricts public employee unions took a new twist Tuesday when Gov. John Kasich said he wanted to insert parts of it related to teachers into the pending state budget. Inclusion of the language in the budget could prevent a referendum such as the one opponents of the collective bargaining statute want to conduct at the Nov. 8 election.

   Mr. Kasich told reporters Tuesday that he wanted to incorporate into the budget "the criteria to reward teachers for good effort," apparently referring to a section of the public employee collective bargaining law dealing with performance-based pay for educators.

   "That wording that's in five, there'll be some part of it put into the budget. I'm not exactly sure ... how all that language will play, but I'm very concerned about getting that going, so that schools have an opportunity to develop criteria for assessing good performance," the governor said.

   More on this development tomorrow.

Outsourcing the Future

From Pro Publica

Since 2008, an Ohio-based company, White Hat Management, has collected around $230 million to run charter schools in that state. The company has grown into a national chain and reports that it has about 20,000 students across the country. But now 10 of its own schools and the state of Ohio are suing, complaining that many White Hat students are failing, and that the company has refused to account for how it has spent the money.

The dispute between White Hat and Ohio, which is unfolding in state court in Franklin County, provides a glimpse at a larger trend: the growing role of private management companies in publicly funded charter schools.

[readon2 url="http://www.propublica.org/article/charter-schools-outsource-education-to-management-firms-with-mixed-results"]Continue Reading...[/readon2]

Chamber of Commerce risks massive backlash

Attacking your neighbors, friends and family is hard, attacking your customers is just plain dumb

Tea party members are squarely in its corner, and it's widely assumed that conservative corporate entities from inside and outside Ohio will pony up at the appropriate time.

But will the real leader of the pro-Senate Bill 5 movement please stand up?

Those opposed to Senate Bill 5 - the new law that limits collective bargaining for Ohio's public employees - have a political action committee, are gathering signatures and are identifying multimillion-dollar revenue streams to fund a referendum campaign this fall.
[...]
Kasich has said he will campaign in favor of the bill, and he used a campaign fundraising email last week to talk about his support of the bill. But he and his staff are deflecting questions about who will lead Senate Bill 5's defense.

Tea party officials and business people say they simply don't know, and Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine said preliminary discussions to answer some of these questions are under way.

Many businesses simply do not support S.B.5, and those that do may find themselves on the wrong end of a public relations backlash. Hundreds of thousands of people adversely affected by this extreme legislation are also their customers and neighbors. We see this playing out in microcosm in Youngstown

Three more companies have left the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber as a result of the chamber board’s endorsement of Senate Bill 5

As OhioDaily notes

What will it take for this Chamber to realize that they ought to be helping to strengthen businesses in this challenged area and not endorsing partisan bills that weaken its workforce?

Local businesses that threaten their customers are going to come under intense scrutiny, and for what gain?

Education cuts should be a wake up call

While lawmakers begin to debate the administrations reckless budget proposal, it's plain for all to see that a more balanced approach is required to preserve our future, our schools and local economies. This is evident in a number of reports today

Devastating news from Cleveland

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - The Cleveland Metropolitan School Board voted to layoff 835 employees, 643 of those are teachers. The board also voted to close seven schools.

Columbus city also finds itself in trouble

The district is now looking at an estimated $16 million loss under a budget proposal that's being considered by the state legislature, and a potential $6 million loss from local property-tax collections because of falling home values, Harris said after a board meeting tonight.

She said it means that staff cuts are inevitable before the start of school this fall.

Delaware

The $2.5 million in cuts for next school year include eliminating 14 staff positions, limiting field trips and phasing out German and Latin classes.

"We understand, to really be financially able to get what we need, it's going to take a combination of the district making significant cuts and asking the community to support the schools through new money," Backus said.

Hudson

Hudson -- Almost 200 people, many of them wearing the blue union shirts of the Hudson Education Association, listened as the School Board on April 4 voted to eliminate 37 positions before the start of the 2011-12 school year.

The eliminated positions will save the district $2.9 million in salaries and benefits but leave about 34 people out of work, according to Assistant Superintendent Phil Herman.

These cuts should be a wake up call to lawmakers, to consider a more balanced, less reckless approach to the budget.