SEPTEMBER 2012 OhioA PUBLICATION OF THE OHIO EDUCATIONSchools ASSOCIATION Keith Yunker, Voters First Troy High School A Troy government teacher’s students explore redistricting problems, while Ohioans consider the Voters First Amendment for Redistricting Reform. Voting Yes on Issue 2 would make our redistricting system accountable, fair and impartial. p16 School Funding Debate When money follows the child, charter schools and vouchers gain, not traditional public schools p4 Education at Stake in 2012 Campaign Bus drivers deserve respect, says ESP Kelly Grimm p14 INSIDE: OEA’s 2012 Election Guide COVER STORY OhioSchools VOL. 91 NO. 7 SEPTEMBER 2012 16 Voters First The professional publication of the 124,000 members A Troy government teacher’s of the Ohio Education Association students explore redistricting The OEA Mission Statement: problems, while Ohioans consider The OEA will lead the way for continuous improvement of public education while advocating for members the Voters First Amendment for and the learners they serve. Redistricting Reform. Voting Yes on OEA Board of Directors Issue 2 would make our redistricting President Patricia Frost-Brooks system accountable, fair and East Cleveland Vice President William Leibensperger impartial so that no political party or South-Western special interest can rig the system. Secretary-Treasurer Tim Myers photo by James DeCamp Elida Barry Alcock, South-Western; Barb Armour, Brunswick; Diana Ball, Amanda- Clearcreek; Kevin Cain, Northwest (Hamilton); Heidi Caskey, Orrville; Barbara Catalano, Mayfield; Patricia Cohen, PATMR; Arnette G.P. Collins, Stark Co. DD; James Cutlip, Wilmington; Michael Dossie, Bellaire; Sandra Duckworth, FEATURES Westerville; Matthew Durham, Washington; Joel Gleason, Clearview; Kevin Griffin, Dublin; Katie Hendrickson, Athens; Robin Jeffries, Columbus; Gary Kapostasy, Findlay; Tammy Koontz, S.C.O.P.E; Theresa Lemus Santos, Fairless; 4 School Funding Debate Sandra Lewis, Dayton; Ivan Maldonado,Youngstown State University-ACE; Martha When money follows the child, charter schools and vouchers gain, Miller, Ashtabula ESP; Rebecca Miller, Tallmadge; Diane Norton, Middletown; not traditional public schools Emilly Osterling, Lakota (Butler); Jeff Pegg, Warren (Trumbull); Haven Reardon, Reading; Jeff Rhodes, North Royalton; Kim Richards, Cardinal; Sophia Rodriguez, Coldwater Exempted Village; Molly Rogers, Youngstown State University; Kecia Sanders-Stewart, East Cleveland; Bill Sears, OEA Retired; Tim 6 Diane Ravitch to Keynote Public School Skamfer, Gahanna-Jefferson; Pamela Smith, Jackson; Patrick Snee, Mentor; Kriston Crombie Stotik, Columbus; Bradley Strong, Mansfield; Lillian M. Tolbert, Preservation Conference East Cleveland; Janice Vaughan, Springfield (Clark); Wil Vickery, Chillicothe; Diana Welsh, Columbus; Jeffrey Wensing, Parma; Rebecca Whited, Huber 14 Education at Stake in 2012 Campaign Heights. Bus drivers deserve respect, says ESP Kelly Grimm NEA Directors Mary Binegar, Urbana; Dale Kain, Mayfield; Jim McClure, Mentor ESP; André Taylor, Twinsburg; Janifer Trowles, Dayton; Gretchen Washington, Sycamore. Staff Executives DEPARTMENTS Larry E. Wicks, Executive Director; Susan Babcock, Assistant Executive Director—Strategic and Workforce Planning; Ric Castorano, Executive Assistant—Business Services; Joe Cohagen, Director of Business and Building 2 President’s Message Operations; Dawn Elias, Human Resources and Labor Relations Administrator; Linda Fiely, General Counsel; Randy Flora, Director of Education Policy and Voters First puts Ohioans First Coalition Relations; Rachelle Johnson, Assistant Executive Director— Member Services/Program and Director of Legal Services; Rose Keller, Manager of Legal Services; James Martin, Assistant Executive Director— 3 Notebook Business Services; Mike Mahoney, Director of Communications and Marketing; OEA urges passage of pension reform legislation Dana Mayfield, Executive Assistant—Strategic and Workforce Planning; Tina O’Donnell, Manager of Administrative Services—Operations; Carol Price, Release of Ohio school report cards delayed Administrative Services/Conference Coordinator; Lisa Ramos, Executive Assistant, General Counsel; Ron Rapp, Director of Governmental Services; Bev Sekella, Executive Assistant—Member Services; Mary Suchy, Director 9 Extra Credit of Membership; Jerrilyn Volz-Costell, Manager of Administrative Services— Clermont Northeastern EA’s mobile food pantry helps those in need Governance. Kevin Flanagan, Assistant Executive Director—Member Services/Field OEA Educator Appreciation Night with the Columbus Crew and Regional Director, Region 3; Patricia Collins Murdock, Regional Director, Region 1; Parry Norris, Regional Director, Region 2; Jeanette Cooper, 23 Making the Grade Regional Director, Region 4; Cristina Munoz-Nedrow, Regional Director, Region 5. White House honors David Romick as "Champion of Change" Ohio Schools Editorial Staff Julie A. Newhall, Editor Gail Botz, Graphic Designer Susie Lehman, Production Coordinator 24 Association Crystalle Phillips, Advertising Coordinator OEA Board of Directors actions Subscription price for public and university libraries is $18 per year. OEA staff news Editorial Offices—Ohio Schools (ISSN: 0030-1086) is published seven times a year: February, April, June, August, September, October, November by the Ohio Education Association, 225 E. Broad St., Box 2550, Columbus, OH 43216. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: www.ohea.org. Address all advertising or editorial correspondence to Editor, Ohio Schools. Postmaster: Send address changes to Ohio Schools, Ohio Education Association, 225 E. Broad St., Box 2550, Columbus, OH 43216. Postage: Periodicals paid at Columbus, OH. www.ohea.org PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Voters First puts Ohioans First AHEAD OF THE POLITICIANS AND THE RIGGED ELECTIONS ust as the new school year 10 years by rigging the legislative local schools by $2.9 billion over seemed to start earlier in maps and picking the voters. two years. Then they quadrupled August this year, the political Instead, Voters First establishes eligibility for private school vouchers. season seems to have started a fair and balanced system where And, of course, they made sure their Jearlier, too. Just as we’re getting to Republicans, Democrats and Inde- favorite political contributors know our students and smell the pendents all have an equal say on —the charter school owners and freshly waxed floors in the class- a 12-member Independent Citizens “virtual online academies”—got rooms and hallways, we’re being Commission. That commission will even more state funding than ever. bombarded by political phone calls, do its best to design fair, competi- Without new leadership, this will news shows and emails. tive, balanced, compact and unified continue. Today, we don’t get as many districts, not the mess we will have Ohio is ending the 2011-2012 questions about why OEA is involved to use this November in electing biennial budget with a sizeable in the political process, and why we legislators and Congress. surplus, perhaps as much as use our publications and time to Balance and competition are $1 billion. But Governor John Kasich recommend political candidates. crucial. We can’t afford the kind of and the legislators in his party have This year, I believe more and more extreme politicians who decided refused any consideration of the idea members understand the importance to use the state budget crisis as an of having some of that surplus go to of electing candidates who are excuse to attack collective bargaining help schools and communities pro-public education, regardless of rights that public employees have threatened by the earlier budget cuts. political party. enjoyed for 30 years. For many students, school The Senate Bill 5 debate showed It would have been one thing if funding hearings now in process us we had a lot to lose if politicians Senate Bill 5 proved to be an isolated (see pages 4-5) will be too little, decided to attack. We all understood attack on teachers, firefighters, police too late. They've already lost that our weak national economy had and nurses. But the attacks contin- opportunities to take foreign caused a state budget crisis in Ohio. ued and spread. Clearly, the majority language classes, remedial tutoring, So please pull out the OEA Election was pushing the envelope to find music and the arts. They have less Guide at the center of this issue to out how far they could go. They access to up-to-date textbooks and get more information about who understand that dedicated folks at computers. supports public education and who the extreme ends of the political Clearly, Voters First puts Ohioans has failed to support opportunities spectrum can sometimes prevail if First—ahead of the politicians and for our students. those of us in the middle don’t do the rigged elections. It’s about time. But I still get lots of questions anything about it. Vote Yes on Issue 2. It's essential to about Voters First—the Vote Yes on It’s not time to relax or rest. the OEA mission! Issue 2 campaign, and whether it Political attacks have continued, really is connected with public despite our victory over SB 5. There education, or just politics. have been multiple bills to suppress Together, we’ll keep listening, The Vote Yes on Issue 2 campaign the votes of Ohioans by manipulat- keep learning and keep leading. seeks true reform in our political ing the system. The majority party processes. We can end an era where took redistricting irregularities to a one election every 10 years lets