COLUMBUS, Ohio — There are less than 72 hours left for legislators to pass a final budget.
Education advocates who want to get rid of academic distress commissions say they’re ready to get off the roller coaster and find a solution that works for all districts.
- 9 Ohio districts have been declared as failing
- Educators and lawmakers want to eliminate the state-appointed academic distress commissions that manage failing districts
- Educators say commissions make it harder for districts to improve
In a last-ditch effort, Democratic Senator Theresa Fedor (D-Toledo), along with other lawmakers and educators, made it clear that enough was enough.
"As an educator, a union leader, and a community stakeholder, I call upon the state budget conference committee and the governor to repeal and replace the failed state takeover and restore local control," said Paul Polomba, Canton City Schools.
Right now, there are nine districts around the state that have been declared as failing.
That's in addition to Youngstown, Lorain, and East Cleveland, which have been on the list for a while.
Teachers and Board of Education members like Ronald Shadd, from Youngstown—a district that’s been managed by an academic distress commission—believe the commissions have made it harder for districts to improve.
"We performed worse in all categories," said Shadd.
Youngstown was the first district to be taken over in 2010.
Visibly emotional, Shadd said they also lost millions as a result of the takeover.
"We had $23 million in surplus funding prior to a CEO,” said Shadd. “CEO came in and he spent about $13 million of that surplus funding in two years...13 million dollars less in the classroom."
He says that money went towards new executive positions in their district, while more than half of their teachers were replaced.
"We now face a situation...not only do we have to repair the damage put into place by HB 70, but we also have to find a way to make a world class education for our students with less money,” said Shadd.
Steve Cawthon sits on the Academic Distress Commission for Lorain City Schools. He says he's seen the negative impacts too, which include the lack of communication and collaboration.
"The CEO does not report to the school board, does not have to by House Bill 70, which can be very problematic as their CEO has not been to a school board meeting since he's been in Lorain," said Cawthon.
While many want to get rid of academic distress commissions altogether, Senator Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) has a different take on it.
Lehner helped to tweak House Bill 154, which added a form of an oversight board back into the bill recently.
She believes the original bill, which eliminates academic distress commissions, is not enough to address the problems failing districts have.
"It doesn't give 'em additional tools,” said Lehner. “It doesn't give them any additional mandates that they have to meet. It's kind of the same old, same old without the academic distress commissions."
Lehner says the Senate is concerned that at the end of the day, kids won't get the kind of education that they deserve and need.
When asked if an academic distress commission is still needed to manage districts, Lehner said that's a question still to be discussed.
"Well, I think we need to address the question is there ever a point where failure is just too embedded that the state doesn't have a role? And I think there's where there's some debate."
For now, some senators and many educators want legislators to know that even in the amended bill, renaming the commissions and keeping them in place is not what they want.
Many of the districts that came here in support of House Bill 154 believe that this is a defining moment and that if legislators don't do something now, it could be devastating for many districts in the near future.
