5 hours ago, E Rocc said:

 

Once upon a time this was a political issue.  Phonics was championed by conservatives, the educational establishment assertively swore by "whole language".  

 

We're seeing similar with "common core" math.  

Of course, the difference there is that Common Core math is objectively superior to traditional math teaching techniques; as phonics is objectively superior to “whole language” techniques. Just because something is new and different doesn’t make it bad. It’s amazing how much better children understand math, thanks to common core, as compared to previous generations. 

47 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Of course, the difference there is that Common Core math is objectively superior to traditional math teaching techniques; as phonics is objectively superior to “whole language” techniques. Just because something is new and different doesn’t make it bad. It’s amazing how much better children understand math, thanks to common core, as compared to previous generations. 

 

It seems the opposite among the kids I know.

51 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Of course, the difference there is that Common Core math is objectively superior to traditional math teaching techniques; as phonics is objectively superior to “whole language” techniques. Just because something is new and different doesn’t make it bad. It’s amazing how much better children understand math, thanks to common core, as compared to previous generations. 

 

Phonics isn't new, my grandmother was teaching it at her one-room school in Appalachia since the 1940s if not before. 

45 minutes ago, GCrites said:

 

Phonics isn't new, my grandmother was teaching it at her one-room school in Appalachia since the 1940s if not before. 

 

Correct, it was maybe just more than one generation there when they went to the "whole language" model.  The science-of-reading curriculum is in large part a return the the tradition of phonics-based instruction, with some more planks added to the platform as well (phonemic awareness, etc.). Some of those planks were probably part of what your grandmother would have called part of her phonics curriculum, too, but modern educational science AFAIK is subdividing them out to enable focusing on them more intentionally and specifically.

2 hours ago, GCrites said:

 

Phonics isn't new, my grandmother was teaching it at her one-room school in Appalachia since the 1940s if not before. 

Absolutely! And it works. I was talking about common core math being both new(-ish) and objectively better than what it replaced. If something came along that was demonstrably more effective than phonics, I would support it. But what did take over in reading instruction in the last 20 years has been a disaster. 

7 hours ago, Foraker said:

A good bit of paper is recycled now too.  And paper doesn't have to come from trees -- other fibrous plants (such as bamboo and hemp) also can be used to make paper. 

 

Only about 42% of paper is recycled.

On 8/30/2024 at 5:18 PM, jonoh81 said:

 

Only about 42% of paper is recycled.

Yes, and with every recycling it becomes worth less (the fibers get shorter with each recycling).  Sadly, that's probably still better than a lot of consumer products, but even mixed in it reduces the amount of virgin materials needed for paper.  Unlike magazines or printed photographs, for example, you don't need high quality paper for practicing math problems. 

 

Thanks to recycling and earth day campaigns we do have a greater awareness of the value of recycling today.  Thanks to schools.

Project 2025 Creeping into Ohio Through State Education Policies

 

From universal private school vouchers to stripping away diversity and inclusion requirements, censoring classrooms, and targeting LGBTQ students — some of Ohio’s education laws and bills mirror the goals outlined for a second Trump administration in Project 2025.

 

Project 2025 is a Presidential Transition Project written by the Heritage Foundation that spells out the first 180 days in office for the next right-wing administration.

 

Even though former President Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, former Trump administration officials helped come up with the nearly 900-page policy book “Mandate for Leadership: A Conservative Promise,” which leans heavily on Christian Nationalism values.

 

Trump’s running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, is the author of a foreword to an upcoming book about Project 2025 by Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts. The publication of that book has been postponed until after the 2024 Election. The book, now called, “Dawn’s Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America,” was originally titled, “Dawn’s Early Light: Burning Down Washington to Save America.”

 

Honesty for Ohio Education Executive Director Christina Collins told the Capital Journal that it’s as though the Ohio General Assembly has been bringing many of the policies outlined in Project 2025 to the Buckeye State already.

 

“It’s almost like Ohio knew what Project 2025 was going to go for, and that our legislature was like, let’s just get ahead of it. Let’s just start implementing,” Collins said.

 

Honesty for Ohio Education compiled a document explaining how Project 2025 would affect education and how it lines up with what is happening in Ohio. 

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/project-2025-creeping-into-ohio-through-state-education-policies-ocj1/

Nearly $1 Billion in Public Funding Funneled to Private Schools in Ohio This Year

 

Ohio spent nearly a billion dollars on private school scholarship programs for the 2024 fiscal year, the first full year with near-universal school vouchers.

 

The total scholarship amount for Ohio’s five private school scholarship programs was $970.7 million, according to final data from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Well more than a third that money ($406.7 million) was from Education Choice Expansion scholarships. 

 

“I think this does have potentially a negative impact on students, on public schools around the margins, as you see those enrollment trends, but then in the big picture, when you have close to a billion dollars in public money that’s going to private schools, that means a billion dollars in state money that’s not available to meet the needs of the nearly 90% of kids that attend our public schools,” said Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro. 

 

The $970.7 million number is higher than the estimated $964.5 million the nonpartisan Ohio Legislative Service Commission predicted when it came to the scholarship programs. 

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/nearly-1-billion-in-public-funding-funneled-to-private-schools-in-ohio-this-year-ocj1/

For context:

 

https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Finance-and-Funding/Overview-of-School-Funding

 

Quote

Ohio’s biennial budget for FY 24 and FY 25 continues the record investment of state dollars in primary and secondary education. Much of this money is distributed through the continued phase-in of the foundation funding formula first implemented in FY 22, along with expanded access to school choice through universal access to the EdChoice scholarship program. State funding for primary and secondary education totaled $11.64 billion in FY 23; is estimated at $12.97 billion in FY 24, the first year of the state’s biennium budget (a $1.32 billion or 11.4 percent increase); and is estimated at $13.39 billion in FY 25, the second year of the state budget (a $425.1 million or 3.3 percent increase). This represents $3.07 billion in new state spending during the biennium.

 

So $0.97B out of $11.64B is about 8.3% of state education dollars going to about 12% of students (those who attend schools not owned and operated by the government).

 

The children are still being educated, in many cases better and at less expense per pupil, than at public schools.

 

And if we zeroed out both of those numbers, forcing all private school students to attend public schools and sending the money with them, the public schools would have less money per pupil.  The quote from the teachers' union president there only makes sense under the assumption that the public schools should get all the EdChoice money back but none of the students that rely on EdChoice.  That's probably a partially accurate assumption; I wouldn't send my children to public school if we lost EdChoice, but then again, my EdChoice Expansion voucher is tiny because of my household income.  But it's not a completely accurate one, because I counseled many families at my kids' school who were on the financial edge before EdChoice Expansion passed, who were sacrificing proportionally far more than my family was to pay tuition, so I know at least some were on the verge of going back to public schools that were saved from having to do so by the passage of EdChoice Expansion.

 

So ultimately, this is a matter of principle, not of efficiency.  If you simply believe that taxpayer dollars have no business going to the schools that taxpayers actually want to send their kids to, and must on principle be sent to schools owned and operated by the government, that's your right.  But don't pretend it's about fiscal prudence or waste.  Most private schools are providing superior educations on shoestring budgets; most public schools get more funding per pupil and are at best providing equivalent education and at worst providing dangerous learning environments overseen by sclerotic and dysfunctional bureaucracies.

That may be true of the Catholic schools and the highly-selective "brain schools" but a lot of other private schools aren't nearly as successful at those goals. And very well could open the door to every little nondenominational church with no oversight to open up a school where they just talk about Jesus all day. Those churches don't have the diocese or the kind of oversight that the old denominations have.

Edited October 28, 2024Oct 28 by GCrites

Just as I suspected. Transparency is not the goal of this bill. Neither is improving curriculum. Instead it will prop up small rural churches struggling to make ends meet due to low population in the vicinity or take the load off the one insurance agent self-funding these small congregations. They will be able to add schools to all of them. And they'll be able to tell tales about snakes and wine all day using your tax dollars since state standardized testing won't be required. They won't have to show where the money went so they don't have to spend it on education and can rather just fund ordinary church operations and pastor salaries with it.

 

Ohio House panel guts bill requiring private schools to show voucher spending, give same standardized tests as public schools

COLUMBUS, Ohio - An Ohio House committee has gutted a bill that would have required more transparency for private schools that accept taxpayer-funded scholarships, allowing for parents to have more information when deciding where to send their children to school.

An amendment adopted in the Ohio House Primary and Secondary Education Committee on Wednesday eliminated several of the key provisions in House Bill 407: Requiring private schools to submit to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce an annual report, which is to be posted online, stating how voucher funds were spent. Also eliminated from the bill Wednesday is a requirement that scholarship students take the same state standardized tests that public school students take. Without that requirement, private schools can choose to administer to voucher students either the state test or one of nearly 40 alternative assessments, which is the current law.

 

More:

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/11/ohio-house-panel-guts-bill-requiring-private-schools-to-show-voucher-spending-give-same-standardized-tests-as-public-schools.html

GOP Wants Mandatory Pledge of Allegiance Policies for Ohio Schools

 

Republican lawmakers want to require Ohio school districts to make their Pledge of Allegiance policy publicly available.

 

State Reps. Gail Pavliga, R-Portage County, and Tracy Richardson, R-Marysville, introduced House Bill 657 over the summer and testified in support of their bill Tuesday during the Ohio House Primary and Secondary Committee Meeting, calling it a transparency bill. 

 

“Many of you grew up reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in school and may be surprised to discover that not all schools and classrooms in Ohio are currently learning or reciting the Pledge,” Richardson said. “Some parents too are unaware that their children are not being taught this important practice. Parents have a right to know.”

 

The bill would not require students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, it would just require school districts to post the policy on their website. 

 

“Very little would need to be done by each school district, the policy already exists, and most schools already have a website,” Pavliga said. 

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/gop-wants-mandatory-pledge-of-allegiance-policies-for-ohio-schools-ocj1/

 

Ohio's increase in higher education funding among lowest in country, study shows

 

Ohio's state funding for higher education has increased 9%. Nationally, the increase in the same time period is roughly 21%.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2025/01/07/state-funding-to-higher-ed-ohio.html

 

Ohio GOP Continues to Defund Public Education System

 

As Ohio’s 136th General Assembly begins, the newly minted House Speaker has already taken a stand on education, saying spending for the state’s public school funding model is “unsustainable.”

 

Priorities (and for that matter, legislative committees) have yet to be formally established, but comments by Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, have already brought criticism from public school advocates across the state.

 

Speaking to reporters after the first official meeting of the Ohio House under his leadership, Huffman was asked about the Cupp-Patterson public school funding plan, also called the Fair School Funding Plan by supporters.

 

The funding model for state support of public schools has been through most of its six-year phase-in, seeing funding through the last two budget cycles. This year was set to be the last phase-in for the funding, but Huffman said there is no such thing as a “three-generation roll-out” and pointed to his comments when Cupp-Patterson was first considered by the legislature. Back then, he did not support funding the full measure all at once, because he said it would tie down future state legislatures with a funding method they may or may not be able to afford.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-gop-continues-to-defund-public-education-system-ocj1/

Gov. DeWine wants to put driver's education back in Ohio high schools

Budget proposal would allow schools to partner with driving training programs to make them more affordable and directly available to students

 

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2025/02/03/ohio-governor-seeks-to-put-drivers-ed-back-in-high-schools/78195707007/

 

Gov. Mike DeWine wants to to put driver's education back in Ohio high schools.

 

DeWine, who made the announcement on Monday during a presentation on the 2-year state budget, has previously made it clear he wants lawmakers to require driving training for everyone getting a license for the first time, not just 16 and 17-year-olds.

 

"We also need to help ensure that as our teenagers get older, they're safe while driving on Ohio's roads," he said.

 

The governor noted that driver's education programs can be prohibitively far away or too expensive for teenagers and some wait to get their licenses at 18 to avoid the training required.

 

=================================

 

Probably a lot more ups than downs.  The one downside is that whatever provider gets the privileged position of being ensconced within the school environment will become the "default" option and have a kind of natural monopoly or at least a very strong structural advantage in getting new customers, squelching competition.  Then again, at least out in 1990s Licking County, there was still only one provider that was the default option and had a kind of natural monopoly because they were the only one in anything remotely resembling reasonable driving distance for my parents to drop me off at.

4 hours ago, Gramarye said:

Probably a lot more ups than downs.  The one downside is that whatever provider gets the privileged position of being ensconced within the school environment will become the "default" option and have a kind of natural monopoly or at least a very strong structural advantage in getting new customers, squelching competition.  Then again, at least out in 1990s Licking County, there was still only one provider that was the default option and had a kind of natural monopoly because they were the only one in anything remotely resembling reasonable driving distance for my parents to drop me off at.

I don't see it.  The monopoly already in existence in rural areas will continue without change.  And in urban areas we'll probably see some competition as school districts compare notes.  And private companies will continue to offer different/better services to those with the means. 

 

IF fewer people are getting their driver's license without ever taking a driver's ed course, that's a good thing.  (In fact, I think at least a half-day refresher course every 10 years would be a reasonable and valuable requirement as well.)

5 minutes ago, Foraker said:

(In fact, I think at least a half-day refresher course every 10 years would be a reasonable and valuable requirement as well.)

 

If it were pass/fail, too many Ohioans would fail.

 

IsaidwhatIsaid.

4 hours ago, Gramarye said:

Gov. DeWine wants to put driver's education back in Ohio high schools

Budget proposal would allow schools to partner with driving training programs to make them more affordable and directly available to students

 

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2025/02/03/ohio-governor-seeks-to-put-drivers-ed-back-in-high-schools/78195707007/

 

Gov. Mike DeWine wants to to put driver's education back in Ohio high schools.

 

DeWine, who made the announcement on Monday during a presentation on the 2-year state budget, has previously made it clear he wants lawmakers to require driving training for everyone getting a license for the first time, not just 16 and 17-year-olds.

 

"We also need to help ensure that as our teenagers get older, they're safe while driving on Ohio's roads," he said.

 

The governor noted that driver's education programs can be prohibitively far away or too expensive for teenagers and some wait to get their licenses at 18 to avoid the training required.

 

=================================

 

Probably a lot more ups than downs.  The one downside is that whatever provider gets the privileged position of being ensconced within the school environment will become the "default" option and have a kind of natural monopoly or at least a very strong structural advantage in getting new customers, squelching competition.  Then again, at least out in 1990s Licking County, there was still only one provider that was the default option and had a kind of natural monopoly because they were the only one in anything remotely resembling reasonable driving distance for my parents to drop me off at.

 

When I took it in the '90s there was both a private and public option. You could do private in Grove City for $600 I think it was and it seemed to be finished more quickly. The public option took place at the school itself but was a lot cheaper like $150.

19 hours ago, Gramarye said:

Gov. DeWine wants to put driver's education back in Ohio high schools

Budget proposal would allow schools to partner with driving training programs to make them more affordable and directly available to students

 

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2025/02/03/ohio-governor-seeks-to-put-drivers-ed-back-in-high-schools/78195707007/

 

Gov. Mike DeWine wants to to put driver's education back in Ohio high schools.

 

DeWine, who made the announcement on Monday during a presentation on the 2-year state budget, has previously made it clear he wants lawmakers to require driving training for everyone getting a license for the first time, not just 16 and 17-year-olds.

 

"We also need to help ensure that as our teenagers get older, they're safe while driving on Ohio's roads," he said.

 

The governor noted that driver's education programs can be prohibitively far away or too expensive for teenagers and some wait to get their licenses at 18 to avoid the training required.

 

=================================

 

Probably a lot more ups than downs.  The one downside is that whatever provider gets the privileged position of being ensconced within the school environment will become the "default" option and have a kind of natural monopoly or at least a very strong structural advantage in getting new customers, squelching competition.  Then again, at least out in 1990s Licking County, there was still only one provider that was the default option and had a kind of natural monopoly because they were the only one in anything remotely resembling reasonable driving distance for my parents to drop me off at.

I think you are saying you support this policy, and I agree with that. It’s strange to me that it isn’t available through schools now. 

14 hours ago, Gramarye said:

 

If it were pass/fail, too many Ohioans would fail.

 

IsaidwhatIsaid.

Huge policy win!

20 hours ago, Gramarye said:

Gov. DeWine wants to put driver's education back in Ohio high schools

Budget proposal would allow schools to partner with driving training programs to make them more affordable and directly available to students

 

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2025/02/03/ohio-governor-seeks-to-put-drivers-ed-back-in-high-schools/78195707007/

 

Gov. Mike DeWine wants to to put driver's education back in Ohio high schools.

 

DeWine, who made the announcement on Monday during a presentation on the 2-year state budget, has previously made it clear he wants lawmakers to require driving training for everyone getting a license for the first time, not just 16 and 17-year-olds.

 

"We also need to help ensure that as our teenagers get older, they're safe while driving on Ohio's roads," he said.

 

The governor noted that driver's education programs can be prohibitively far away or too expensive for teenagers and some wait to get their licenses at 18 to avoid the training required.

 

=================================

 

Probably a lot more ups than downs.  The one downside is that whatever provider gets the privileged position of being ensconced within the school environment will become the "default" option and have a kind of natural monopoly or at least a very strong structural advantage in getting new customers, squelching competition.  Then again, at least out in 1990s Licking County, there was still only one provider that was the default option and had a kind of natural monopoly because they were the only one in anything remotely resembling reasonable driving distance for my parents to drop me off at.

 

It was part of the regular curriculum at Maple in the 70s.   Mike Milkovich, who some may have heard of, taught it.

DeWine Wants More Homegrown College Students in Ohio

 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s two-year state budget proposal seeks to get more high school students to stay in Ohio for college through increased scholarship funding. But overall funding for the Ohio Department of Higher Education dips in the second year of his plan.

 

The proposed budget would give ODHE $3.16 billion in fiscal year 2026 and $3.04 billion in fiscal year 2027.

 

Steve Mockabee, president of the University of Cincinnati’s American Association of University Professors chapter, was disappointed to see ODHE funding decrease during the second year of the proposed budget. 

 

“Public education provides a good return on investment,” he said. “It feels like a missed opportunity for the state to be decreasing its investment in higher ed.” 

 

The governor’s total state budget is $218 billion. Lawmakers are now tasked with working on a budget to send back to DeWine, which he must sign by July 1.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/dewine-wants-more-homegrown-college-students-in-ohio-ocj1/

Ohio GOP Lawmaker Wants Ten Commandments in Every Classroom

 

A first hearing will be held on Tuesday for SB 34, a bill that opens the door for the Ten Commandments to be displayed in Ohio’s public school classrooms and to erect monuments to them on public school grounds. 

 

Sponsored by Ohio Sen. Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), the Historical Educational Displays Act, if passed, that, beginning July 1, 2026, all Ohio school boards must select at least one of the following historical educational documents to display in every classroom:

• The Ten Commandments
• The Mayflower Compact
• The Declaration of Independence
• The Northwest Ordinance
• The mottoes of the United States and Ohio
• The Magna Carta
• The Bill of Rights
• The United States Constitution
• The Articles of Confederation

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-gop-lawmaker-wants-ten-commandments-in-every-classroom-tbf1/

12 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

Ohio GOP Lawmaker Wants Ten Commandments in Every Classroom

 

A first hearing will be held on Tuesday for SB 34, a bill that opens the door for the Ten Commandments to be displayed in Ohio’s public school classrooms and to erect monuments to them on public school grounds. 

 

Sponsored by Ohio Sen. Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), the Historical Educational Displays Act, if passed, that, beginning July 1, 2026, all Ohio school boards must select at least one of the following historical educational documents to display in every classroom:

• The Ten Commandments
• The Mayflower Compact
• The Declaration of Independence
• The Northwest Ordinance
• The mottoes of the United States and Ohio
• The Magna Carta
• The Bill of Rights
• The United States Constitution
• The Articles of Confederation

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-gop-lawmaker-wants-ten-commandments-in-every-classroom-tbf1/

Hmmm,  does this GOP lawmaker want the Ten Commandments posted, so that we are sure to observe and obey them all?, or, alternatively, to ignore and violate them all?  Just asking based observations of current events.

Edited February 11Feb 11 by urb-a-saurus

Heath is in the process of annexing a very large parcel of farmland to allow a developer to build 600+ single family homes, and that parcel is in Granville schools. Granville is at 95% capacity, this will force at least one or two new buildings. Granville EVSD will need to pass a new bond issue to pay for it, so all residents in GEVSD will have out already very high school taxes go up even more. 

• Heath is moving forward because this benefits Heath with new middle-upper income residents to pay the city more income tax. One option would be a special assessment to pay for a school, but Heath is already doing this to pay for infrastructure improvements.
• GEVSD residents have no say in this process, despite the fact we will be effectively heavily subsidizing this development. Granville estimates that the new subdivision will all 960 students, produce $3.3 million in property and income tax revenue, and create an operating expense of $12 million a year.

• Granville has a cost per pupil of $14,400, below the state average of $15,427. With the recent changes in the state funding formula, GEVSD receives $2,200 per pupil in state funding. The rest is all paid in local taxes, which are almost entirely residential. (There are ongoing efforts to attract more commercial development within the district.)
• Private Granville Christian Academy receives an average of about $8,000 per student in state funding, thanks to the state's EdChoice Scholarship program. Full tuition there ranges from $9600-11500.

 

The biggest problem here is overlapping jurisdictions with competing interests, a thing the doesn't seem like it should exist. This is really all benefit and no downside for Heath and its current residents. 

The state tax formula is garbage. Property values in Granville are high in no small part because the schools are good, which also means incomes are high. In our state's usual goal to cut state taxes so local entities get to be the bad guys and ask voters for money to actually pay for things, the state decided we have the ability to pay a lot locally, and cut state funding way back. While that is technically mostly true, it does have limits. School levies are become much harder to pass around here lately, and I'm very concerned my son's schools will be overcrowded in the coming years.

 

I'm a little of torn about the EdChoice scholarships, and the fact the state provides such a comparatively large amount of money to Granville Christian Academy students. I'm not holding anything against those who choose to take advantage of that program - I went to an absolutely garbage largely rural public school in Clermont County, my parents could not afford private school so I was stuck there. This might have given the option to go elsewhere (though realistically I'm not sure where I would have actually gone instead - I would not have liked any sort of religious school). But I don't think it's a huge stretch to say that money is probably coming in part from state money that could otherwise be supporting public schools. That doesn't seem right- the state is often providing significantly more money to private, religious schools (and private charter schools) than it is to some public schools. The actual motives here are even more suspect when one looks at how this program became a reality.

 

It would be MUCH more fair if the state provided all districts with, as a baseline, the same amount per pupil offered for EdChoice students. Additional funds could be paid locally for communities that want better schools, just like private school parents often still pay something beyond what the state scholarship covers. Good schools and education are critical to having a good, working society, and it feels lately like we might be paying the price for some of those cutbacks.

https://www.thereportingproject.org/big-crowd-hears-details-of-proposed-600-home-subdivision-and-how-granville-schools-are-preparing-to-manage-growth/

https://www.thereportingproject.org/granville-officials-urge-heath-city-council-not-to-bulldoze-over-granville-schools-with-housing-development/

1 hour ago, urb-a-saurus said:

Hmmm,  does this GOP lawmaker want the Ten Commandments posted, so that we are sure to observe and obey them all?, or, alternatively, to ignore and violate them all?  Just asking based observations of current events.

 

Well the First Amendment protects the right to violate at least three, so either way it's inappropriate.

14 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

DeWine Wants More Homegrown College Students in Ohio

 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s two-year state budget proposal seeks to get more high school students to stay in Ohio for college through increased scholarship funding. But overall funding for the Ohio Department of Higher Education dips in the second year of his plan.

 

The proposed budget would give ODHE $3.16 billion in fiscal year 2026 and $3.04 billion in fiscal year 2027.

 

Steve Mockabee, president of the University of Cincinnati’s American Association of University Professors chapter, was disappointed to see ODHE funding decrease during the second year of the proposed budget. 

 

“Public education provides a good return on investment,” he said. “It feels like a missed opportunity for the state to be decreasing its investment in higher ed.” 

 

The governor’s total state budget is $218 billion. Lawmakers are now tasked with working on a budget to send back to DeWine, which he must sign by July 1.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/dewine-wants-more-homegrown-college-students-in-ohio-ocj1/

 

Maybe he and his party should stop trying to dismantle public education then, if it is indeed such a good return on investment. 

2 hours ago, urb-a-saurus said:

Hmmm,  does this GOP lawmaker want the Ten Commandments posted, so that we are sure to observe and obey them all?, or, alternatively, to ignore and violate them all?  Just asking based observations of current events.

 

It's all performative, anyway. None of the modern GOP are followers of Jesus. 

Budget Talks begin for Future of Education in Ohio

 

Budget discussions on education have begun in the Ohio General Assembly, along with the reconvening of the House Education Committee, which is preparing to take a hard look at the state’s school regulation and funding as it establishes legislative priorities on the topic.

 

State Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur, R-Ashtabula, is the new chair of the committee, which has several former educators in its ranks. The former Ohio State Board of Education member and homeschooling supporter focused on “disenfranchised” parents and the elimination of what she sees as overregulation in the state education system as she explained what she hopes to see from the committee over the next two years.

 

“Over the past two or three decades, I think Ohio’s education system has been weighed down with bureaucracy and red tape, and often those have come in the form of well-intentioned policies, regulations, laws, unintentionally stealing the joy of learning from many of Ohio’s students and teachers,” Fowler Arthur said in last week’s committee meeting.

 

Fellow committee member state Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, also brought up an oversaturation of roles, particularly for teachers in the state system, saying the screenings, parent reporting, health intervention plans, and school safety plans, among many other roles given to teachers through laws and regulations, have given educators a full plate.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/budget-talks-begin-for-future-of-education-in-ohio-ocj1/

Advocates Fight for Fair School Funding Plan

 

Former Ohio state Rep. John Patterson, co-author of Ohio’s Full School Funding Plan — the final phase of which has an uncertain future in the next state budget — said in an online forum last week that the full funding is a necessity for local schools and a responsibility for the state.

 

Patterson put together what would later be called the Fair School Funding Plan with former House Speaker Bob Cupp in 2017, in an effort to bring about the “adequacy” in public school funding demanded by the Ohio Constitution and four separate Ohio Supreme Court orders that the state properly fund public schools.

 

Because the school funding topic is a complicated one, Patterson said he and Cupp “realized early on that we didn’t have all the answers,” and needed to bring in others to help put together a plan that addressed the real costs of educating a student in Ohio.

 

“Not one person, not one group, it was a bipartisan effort,” Patterson said.

 

With the help Republicans like former state Rep. Gary Scherer and former state Sen. Peggy Lehner, plus former Democratic state Sen. Vernon Sykes, the pair worked to simplify the education funding model to true district costs. The effort would later be taken up by another bipartisan pair, state Rep. Jamie Callender, R-Concord, and Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Westlake, in the following general assembly, where it was passed as part of the state budget.

 

Patterson and Cupp also put together a work group of treasurers and superintendents from across the state to pin down what districts needed from the state, and why each district’s costs looked different.

 

“We wanted a diverse group so we could get an actual read on how schools are funded and where the money needs to be coming from, so that our kids could receive that quality education,” Patterson told a virtual forum last week, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Ohio.

 

More below:

http://columbusunderground.com/advocates-fight-for-fair-school-funding-plan/

High Schoolers Make Plans to Flee Ohio as Republicans Destroy Higher Ed

 

Where 16-year-old Michelle Huang goes to college hinges largely on what happens with a massive, controversial higher education bill that the Ohio Senate recently passed. 

 

Huang, a junior at Olentangy Liberty High School in Delaware County, said she always imagined herself going to Ohio State University to study political science, but is not so sure anymore because of Ohio Senate Bill 1. 

 

She wants to receive Ohio State’s Morrill Scholarship, a merit scholarship program where one of the requirements is to “contribute to campus diversity.” But S.B. 1 would, among other things, ban diversity and inclusion efforts and jeopardize diversity scholarships. 

 

“The fact that S.B. 1 puts (diversity) scholarships in jeopardy is a big deterrent for me applying to Ohio State and other Ohio schools who offer similar scholarships,” Huang said. 

 

Ohio State University Spokesman Ben Johnson said the Morrill Scholarship Program “is open to students of any background and would continue,” he said in an email. 

 

“We will continue to work with elected officials on both sides of the aisle to advance Ohio State and ensure our students, faculty and staff have the resources and support needed to succeed,” Johnson said in an email. “It’s too early to comment further at this time.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/high-schoolers-make-plans-to-flee-ohio-as-republicans-destroy-higher-ed-ocj1/

How Ohio Schools Could be Impacted by the Destruction of the Department of Education

 

As President Donald Trump continues to talk about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, Ohio educators worry what that could mean for federal funding that school districts across the state rely on. 

 

Trump could issue an executive order targeting the department and he recently told his pick for education secretary, Linda McMahon, “to put herself out of a job.” However, Trump cannot get rid of a federal agency without congressional approval.

 

Ohio education advocates said that Trump’s efforts would hurt Ohio’s vulnerable schoolchildren the most.

 

“Students in poverty and students with disabilities are the ones who are most at risk of losing the support they need to succeed,” said Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro.

 

The federal department doesn’t determine what is taught in schools. Instead, learning standards are set at the state level and curriculum is adopted by local school boards. 

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/how-ohio-schools-could-be-impacted-by-the-destruction-of-the-department-of-education-ocj1/

Funding for Public School Meals Gets Rare Bipartisan Support in Ohio

 

A co-sponsor of a new bipartisan bill to give Ohio public school students free meals is hoping to see it included as a priority in the state’s two-year operating budget due July 1.

 

State Sen. Bill Blessing, R-Colerain Twp., said the newest move to get the state to pay for all students to have free breakfast and lunch at school is similar to Senate Bill 342, which he and co-sponsor Sen. Kent Smith, D-Euclid, introduced in the last General Assembly.

 

“It’s such a great idea, it’s a public good,” Blessing told the Capital Journal.

 

S.B. 342 had other aims, such as increasing the Local Government Fund and modifying funding for the Low and Moderate-Income Housing Trust Fund, along with the goal of total eligibility for student meals, so when Blessing and Smith brought back the idea in the new General Assembly, simplicity won out.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/funding-for-public-school-meals-gets-rare-bipartisan-support-in-ohio-ocj1/

Ohio GOP Continues Fight Against Diversity in Public Schools

 

A new bill proposed by an Ohio Republican lawmaker would ban diversity and inclusion efforts in Ohio K-12 public schools.

 

State Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, recently introduced Ohio Senate Bill 113 which would require every local board of education in the state to adopt a policy that would end any current diversity and inclusion offices or departments and ban any diversity, equity, and inclusion orientation or training. It would also prevent the creation of any new such offices or departments and using DEI in job descriptions. 

 

Under the bill, each board of education would be required to create a complaint process for an alleged violation of the policy and the board would investigate the complaint with a hearing.

 

Ohio teacher unions were quick to critique the bill. 

 

“This is another petty attempt from this legislature to sidestep local control and micromanage every aspect of how public schools operate,” Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper said in an email. “It is objectively a good thing for students of all races when school districts make an effort to hire a diverse teaching staff.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-gop-continues-fight-against-diversity-in-public-schools-ocj1/

Time's up, Ted!

 

Ohio State protestors direct anger at President Ted Carter after diversity offices are shut down

 

Ohio State University students, alumni and faculty took to the Oval on Tuesday afternoon to voice their opposition to an anti-Diversity Equity and Inclusion bill in the Ohio General Assembly and OSU's compliance with the yet-to-be-passed legislation.

 

A crowd of hundreds of people gathered in two circles at the statue of former Ohio State President William Oxley Thompson in two wide circles to hear different speakers who opposed Senate Bill 1. The crowd had to split up because the university restricts the use of audio devices like megaphones before certain times of day, making it difficult for the crowd to hear.

...

The protestors voiced their frustration at Carter, shouting "F*** Ted Carter" multiple times. The many speakers also criticized the university president as well as state and federal Republicans for attacking DEI programs.

 

OSU Professor Hasan Kwame Jeffries, the brother of U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not mince words to the crowd. He said students need to fight Carter's actions as well as those of Gov. Mike DeWine and President Donald Trump.

 

"(Carter is) rolling over before the game even begun. He heard we were playing Michigan and he decided not to show up. That's not what Buckeyes do. All the scared Buckeyes are someplace else. That ain't us," Jeffries said to a roaring crowd.

He followed up on comments he made last week to WOSU's All Sides with Amy Juravich about Carter.

 

"I was asked my thoughts on our dear president, President Carter, and I said the verdict is still out. I said I'm not sure if he's incompetent. I'm not sure if he's a coward. I'm not sure if he's complicit," Jeffries said. "But I think we know now. It's all three!"

 

More below:

https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2025-03-04/ohio-state-protestors-direct-anger-at-president-ted-carter-after-diversity-offices-are-shut-down

 

Ohio University postpones Black Alumni Reunion amid Trump administration DEI crackdown

 

Ohio University announced Tuesday that it is halting its Black Alumni Reunion due to the Trump administration's DEI changes.

 

The change comes after other Ohio universities, including Ohio State University, have rolled back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and closed offices following the U.S. Department of Education's Feb. 14 "Dear Colleague" letter.

 

The letter stipulated that schools must eliminate "race-based decision-making" from campuses by the end of February month or forfeit federal funding. Over the weekend, however, the department offered guidance saying that colleges wouldn't lose federal funding immediately, but instead would be asked to negotiate a resolution agreement or face a legal proceeding.

 

More below:

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2025/03/06/ohio-university-black-alumni-reunion-halted-trump-dei-threats-senate-bill-one-education-college/81745394007/

UC students, faculty protest threats to DEI amid legislative changes

 

A third protest in support of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) was held at the University of Cincinnati (UC) between the University Pavilion and Tangeman University Center (TUC) at 1 p.m. on March 4.

 

House Bill 6, formerly Senate Bill 1, includes provisions that could dismantle or significantly alter DEI initiatives at public universities across Ohio. Many protesters voiced concerns that the bill threatens the university’s commitment to inclusivity, academic freedom and support services for marginalized students.

...

Following the speeches, students organized a march through the walkways between University Pavilion and TUC. Protesters carried signs and chanted slogans, amplifying their message with megaphones.

 

Chants of “Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!” and “DEI will never die, DEI we can’t deny!” echoed as nearly 100 protesters marched through campus pathways.

 

More below:

https://www.newsrecord.org/news/uc-students-faculty-protest-threats-to-dei-amid-legislative-changes/article_82562ac6-fb5d-11ef-b226-43498f7aaa6e.html

 

9 minutes ago, ColDayMan said:

Time's up, Ted!

 

Ohio State protestors direct anger at President Ted Carter after diversity offices are shut down

 

Ohio State University students, alumni and faculty took to the Oval on Tuesday afternoon to voice their opposition to an anti-Diversity Equity and Inclusion bill in the Ohio General Assembly and OSU's compliance with the yet-to-be-passed legislation. [...]

 

The protestors voiced their frustration at Carter, shouting "F*** Ted Carter" multiple times. The many speakers also criticized the university president as well as state and federal Republicans for attacking DEI programs. [...]

 

"I was asked my thoughts on our dear president, President Carter, and I said the verdict is still out. I said I'm not sure if he's incompetent. I'm not sure if he's a coward. I'm not sure if he's complicit," Jeffries said. "But I think we know now. It's all three!"

 

More below:

https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2025-03-04/ohio-state-protestors-direct-anger-at-president-ted-carter-after-diversity-offices-are-shut-down

 

The accusation of cowardice is an interesting one, tinged with no small amount of irony in my eyes.  Because I've been waiting for this day (and hope it turns into much more than a day) ever since the inexcusably cowardly firing of Jon Waters as TBDBITL director to preemptively appease Title IX apparatchiks in Washington who had singled out OSU for investigation (potentially to make an example of us), when the proper response if the university had any spine at all--or the Title IX commissars in DC had a properly reduced level of influence, a salubrious development that may well also be in process--would be "what grown adults do consensually off of university property, if it's not criminal, is private conduct and in no way implicates the university's Title IX compliance obligations."

4 hours ago, Gramarye said:

 

The accusation of cowardice is an interesting one, tinged with no small amount of irony in my eyes.  Because I've been waiting for this day (and hope it turns into much more than a day) ever since the inexcusably cowardly firing of Jon Waters as TBDBITL director to preemptively appease Title IX apparatchiks in Washington who had singled out OSU for investigation (potentially to make an example of us), when the proper response if the university had any spine at all--or the Title IX commissars in DC had a properly reduced level of influence, a salubrious development that may well also be in process--would be "what grown adults do consensually off of university property, if it's not criminal, is private conduct and in no way implicates the university's Title IX compliance obligations."

 

I don't see the correlation between the firing of Jon Waters for Title IX and getting rid of anything Minority/Women/LGBTQ+/Enola Gay/whatever.  That seems to be...a reach...at best.

Ohio’s School Choice Program Leaves Some Kids Behind

 

Despite the expansion of near-universal school vouchers in Ohio, students in some counties don’t have the option to attend a private school. 

 

Ten of Ohio’s 88 counties have no private schools during the 2025 fiscal year, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. 

 

“There are a lot of rural areas in the state that do not have many options,” said Ohio Federation of Teacher President Melissa Cropper. “Students in those areas really don’t have access to these vouchers.”

 

Carroll, Champaign, Hardin, Harrison, Holmes, Meigs, Morgan, Noble, Preble and Vinton counties had zero private schools during the 2025 fiscal year. Many Appalachian counties have only one or two private schools, according to ODEW data. 

 

“To say that we have universal vouchers, that every family can take advantage of a voucher, is actually a fallacy,” Cropper said. “A lot of these counties don’t have options, or have very few options, yet they’re still being impacted by money going to vouchers, so it has a disproportionate impact on rural areas.” 

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohios-school-choice-program-leaves-some-kids-behind-ocj1/

OSU Complies With Trump Orders, Closing Office of Diversity and Inclusion

 

Ohio State University is closing their Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of Student Life’s Center for Belonging and Social Change. 

 

Ohio State President Ted Carter announced the changes during Thursday’s University Senate meeting. Friday is the deadline for schools to comply with the U.S. Department of Education’s Dear Colleague letter that threatened to rescind federal funds for schools that use race-conscious practices in admissions, programming, training, hiring, scholarships, and other aspects of student life.

 

“The federal government has signaled its intent to enforce guidance invalidating the use of race in a broad range of educational activities, including by withdrawing federal dollars that are so important to our student, academic and operational success,” Carter said in a university statement. “The Attorney General of Ohio – our statutory counsel – has advised us that his office concurs with the federal government’s position regarding the use of race in educational activities.”

...

Carter acknowledged both offices have done important work for Ohio State over the years. Ohio State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion was founded in 1970. 

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/osu-complies-with-trump-orders-closing-office-of-diversity-and-inclusion-ocj1/

Ohio GOP Pushes Forward Plan to Close More Public Schools

 

A Republican bill that could automatically close low-performing Ohio public schools received no supporter testimony this week. 

 

Ohio Senate Bill 127 would revise Ohio’s public school closure law and require a poor performing school to either close or take remedial action. Senate Education Committee Chair Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, introduced the bill last month and no one submitted supporter testimony for the bill’s second hearing this week. 

 

“It is my hope that this bill will help to standardize the law surrounding school closures for public and community schools and help ensure that each student in Ohio receives the best education possible,” Brenner said to the Senate Education Committee earlier this month during his sponsor testimony. 

 

The bill defines a poor performing school as a school (district operated, community or STEM), serving grades four and older, that has performed in the bottom 5% among public schools based on its Performance Index Score for three consecutive years, and is in the bottom 10% based on its Value-Added Progress for three consecutive years.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-gop-pushes-forward-plan-to-close-more-public-schools-ocj1/

 

23 minutes ago, ColDayMan said:

Ohio GOP Pushes Forward Plan to Close More Public Schools

 

...

 

The bill defines a poor performing school as a school (district operated, community or STEM), serving grades four and older, that has performed in the bottom 5% among public schools based on its Performance Index Score for three consecutive years, and is in the bottom 10% based on its Value-Added Progress for three consecutive years.

 

Yeah, I don't think that's a tenable definition because theoretically even if every public school in Ohio was objectively excellent, this would still force some of them to close each year--which would then have knock-on effects on adjacent schools that need to absorb the students from those schools (which could be OK if those adjacent schools had declining enrollment and needed to fill capacity, but that's definitely not guaranteed, and even if it were the case in any given year, it might not be the case 5 or 10 years down the line).

 

In any given race at the Olympics, there's still someone who finishes last.

DeWine Signs Controversial Education Bill into Law

 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday signed into law a massive higher education overhaul to ban diversity efforts, regulate classroom discussion, and prohibit faculty strikes, among other things. The law will take effect in 90 days. 

 

S.B. 1 will set rules around classroom discussion, create post-tenure reviews, put diversity scholarships at risk, create a retrenchment provision that block unions from negotiating on tenure, shorten university board of trustees terms from nine years down to six years, and require students take an American history course, among other things. 

 

For classroom discussion, the bill will set rules around topics involving “controversial beliefs” such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion. S.B. 1 would only affect Ohio’s public universities.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/dewine-signs-controversial-education-bill-into-law-ocj1/

 

Ohio GOP Wants to Ban Transgender Names and Pronouns from Schools

 

Republican lawmakers have introduced a new bill at the Ohio Statehouse that would prohibit public school staff from referring to transgender students by any name not listed on their original birth certificate.

 

Public schools found not in compliance could risk losing a percentage of critical state funding.

 

Ohio House Bill (HB) 190 “The Given Name Act,” applies exclusively to transgender students and would not prevent cisgender students from using shortened versions of common names such as Anthony, Michael or Elizabeth.

 

The bill is nearly identical to anti-transgender model legislation crafted by the Heritage Foundation – the massively influential far-right think tank behind anti-LGBTQ+ Project 2025.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-gop-wants-to-ban-transgender-names-and-pronouns-from-schools-tbf1/

2 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

DeWine Signs Controversial Education Bill into Law

 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday signed into law a massive higher education overhaul to ban diversity efforts, regulate classroom discussion, and prohibit faculty strikes, among other things. The law will take effect in 90 days. 

 

S.B. 1 will set rules around classroom discussion, create post-tenure reviews, put diversity scholarships at risk, create a retrenchment provision that block unions from negotiating on tenure, shorten university board of trustees terms from nine years down to six years, and require students take an American history course, among other things. 

 

For classroom discussion, the bill will set rules around topics involving “controversial beliefs” such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion. S.B. 1 would only affect Ohio’s public universities.

This bill solves a non-existent problem, at the expense of making faculty uneasy for their future, and ability to tell the actual truth. The quality and respectability of our state universities is going to suffer when professors are forced to teach "both sides" of every controversial issue (conspiracy theories and holocaust denials). This will make it very difficult to convince high-quality out-of-state students and faculty to come to Ohio in the future. Really hoping that includes football players. Our horrible state legislature has been trying to pass this for years, but the real surprise is that Dewine signed with a big smile on his face.

My wife started applying to academic jobs out of state earlier this year when this was proposed yet again. We don't expect much to come of it, blue state institutions have their pick of applicants looking to leave red states. Fortunately we do have other options - she would have no problem getting a job outside of academia, probably for much more money, or at a private institution. Regardless, if that happens, it won't be in Ohio. I've always defended my home state and wanted to stay here, but this (after redistricting reform losing in November - my last real hope for the state) has me more than ready to live someplace else.

Edited March 31Mar 31 by mrCharlie

On 3/31/2025 at 2:37 PM, ColDayMan said:

DeWine Signs Controversial Education Bill into Law

 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday signed into law a massive higher education overhaul to ban diversity efforts, regulate classroom discussion, and prohibit faculty strikes, among other things. The law will take effect in 90 days. 

 

S.B. 1 will set rules around classroom discussion, create post-tenure reviews, put diversity scholarships at risk, create a retrenchment provision that block unions from negotiating on tenure, shorten university board of trustees terms from nine years down to six years, and require students take an American history course, among other things. 

 

For classroom discussion, the bill will set rules around topics involving “controversial beliefs” such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion. S.B. 1 would only affect Ohio’s public universities.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/dewine-signs-controversial-education-bill-into-law-ocj1/

 

This needed to happen 25 years ago, preferably before I had to waste time and tuition money taking a required “diversity education” GEC class at OSU that was the biggest waste of any of my 250+ credit-hours there—light on content but heavy on indoctrination.  (Suffice to say that it did indeed have a profound opinion-shaping effect on me vis-a-vis the value of DEI in higher education long before that acronym became commonplace, but not quite the one likely intended.)

 

We’ll see how many loopholes defenders of the status quo manage to find, though.  And at the end of the day, personnel matters more than policy.

I never had any mandatory diversity classes at SSU at the same time. Of course it is in Appalachia -- all of which is DEI itself. 

 

The only good side of this bill I suppose is making schools focus more on job placement. Too many students come out of school poorly networked for being able to actually use their degrees while companies claim "they can't find anybody" (translation: "anybody I don't already know is probably crazy"). If more schools adopt co-op and other work/study programs their job placement numbers should improve. And that way people won't be fighting so tooth and nail to go to UC over other schools since it guarantees placement within companies with co-op.

2 hours ago, Gramarye said:

This needed to happen 25 years ago, preferably before I had to waste time and tuition money taking a required “diversity education” GEC class at OSU that was the biggest waste of any of my 250+ credit-hours there—light on content but heavy on indoctrination. 

 

I'm sorry you wasted your time and tuition money on a DEI GEC class instead of wasting it on, uh, *checks notes* wine tasting?

24 minutes ago, ColDayMan said:

 

I'm sorry you wasted your time and tuition money on a DEI GEC class instead of wasting it on, uh, *checks notes* wine tasting?

Hey, it was "Wine in Western Culture" -- and it definitely helped my later networking efforts!  🍷