Olentangy Schools Budget

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Olentangy Schools Superintendent, Wade Lucas, provides a good overview of of the impact of the state budget on his district.

The Treasurer, Rebecca Jenkins, testimony on HB153 can be read here, and provides a good backdrop to the financial havoc this reckless budget is causing. This section caught our eye

Note that charter school per pupil funding (as well as state-wide per pupil funding) has grown each year over that same time period. This would seem logical since the state pupil funding amount has grown steadily over that period. It is interesting to note that if charter schools were kept at their 2006 funding level (like many other growing schools have experienced) their funding would have been over $55 million less in FY11.

Olentangy have a May 3rd ballot issue whereby voters will asked to pass a 7.9-mill operating and no-additional-millage bond issue. If you live in the district, take a moment to check out their FAQ.

Governor Kasich offers shabby solutions

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The Dispatch brings us news of one of the most appalling rationalizations for S.B.5 that the Governor has made to date. Because Bob Evans offers "shabby" benefits, teachers, firefighters and police should be worse off too.

Talking about the need for the collective bargaining overhaul he recently signed, Gov. John Kasich today suggested employees at Bob Evans have "shabby, at best" health insurance benefits.
[...]
"You know, when I go to Bob Evans and I see a woman working in there who doesn't have any pension, and I don't even know that she has health care benefits, and if she does they're shabby, at best, to think we're asking public workers to do a little bit more, people who have guaranteed benefits and people who are not paying very much for their health care, and to ask them to a little bit more to provide balance to that mom who is trying to educate her kids, it's fairness."

The Governor has it backwards. Perhaps if workers at Bob Evans could collectively bargain, their benefits might not be so "shabby". Perhaps the Governor should be less excited to extended millions of dollars of tax payers money so the CEO of Bob Evans can have a shorter commute - and instead insist that companies receiving tax dollars provide their employees benefits that aren't "shabby".

It's time this Governor stopped believing that a race to the bottom is "winning".

Why Business Cares

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If you own, operate, or work in a local business, public education is vital to your current and future success. Over 90% of Ohioans are educated in public schools.

Teachers and education support professionals (bus drivers, cafeteria workers, lab technicians etc.) provide the foundational education and learning environment for your current and future employees. Without a talent pool of educated employees, businesses would struggle to operate, innovate and adapt to an increasingly complex and competitive market place. By supporting public education you support the continued creation of this vital resource.

Teachers and education support professionals within public education also provide the majority of your customers’ foundational education. A quality education is undoubtedly the means to long-term prosperity and quality job creation. The greater that prosperity, the greater the business opportunities it creates for people like you.

  • There is a clear consensus among researchers that education enhances productivity.
  • Research indicates that quality public schools can help make states and localities more economically competitive.
  • Public schools indisputably influence residential property values.

Just as importantly is the here and now. Those who work in the public education system are also your customers. They shop, order and consume services and generate word of mouth business, every day. Without these hundreds of thousands of professionals and their families contributing to their local economies, many businesses would suffer. It’s critical that local businesses continue to support public education and the jobs that help build future foundations for our prosperity. All our futures depend upon it.


Please support public education and those who work in it.


You can read the scientific research from Knowledgeworks on how public education positively impacts economic development

Public Schools and Economic Development

Petition training pics and update

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A packed house at JTF world HQ last night for petition training. Folks were excited and ready to go!

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Thanks to the OEA staff for taking the time to deliver the training.

We also learned that We Are Ohio have begun printing 100,000 petitions which should start being available Friday. Stay tuned.