More on House Bill 512 - Comprehensive Education Restructuring

image credit: yaf.org

Yesterday, I posted an Action Alert that is circulating among Ohio liberty groups concerning House Bill 512 -- a bill that is 2,430 pages in length! Today, I found more information at the Christian Home Educators of Ohio here. Here's their take :

CHEO LEGISLATIVE ALERT – February 16, 2018
From Melanie Elsey, Legislative liaison for Christian Home Educators of Ohio

Regarding: HB 512 – Comprehensive Education Restructuring

This legislation (2.430 pages in length), sponsored by State Representative Bill Reineke and co-sponsored by Representatives Blessing, Carfagna, Pelanda, Brenner, Riedel, Hoops, and Koehler, was introduced February 14^, 2018. It has not yet been assigned to committee.

HB 512 places the regulations for home education and regulations for non-chartered, nonpublic schools (08 schools) in jeopardy by pulling them out of the jurisdiction of the State Board of Education (partially elected) and placing these policies under the authority of a NON-ELECTED cabinet agency under the sole authority of the Governor.

At Wednesday’s press conference, Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger stated that HB512 “will be the Ohio House’s mission for the rest of the year.”

It is intended to abolish the Ohio Board of Regents, abolish the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and strip the Ohio Department of Education/State Board of Education of more than 80% of their duties.  It creates an enormous state agency in the executive branch with authority over all the responsibilities of these abolished and diminished agencies. This new agency would be called the Department of Learning and Achievement (DLA).  In the language of the bill this “mega-agency” will have a blank check on their authority to set policy as described in 3301.07(D). 

There will be NO ACCOUNTABILITY to the public – only to the Governor. In various news articles, Governor Kasich has publicly expressed frustration for lack of control of the State Board of Education. This new agency would provide him with the desired oversight and authority in this area.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Reineke stated, “This bill is about a lifetime of learning – crib to career – birth to work.”  He has served on Governor Kasich’s Taskforce for Workforce Transformation, which will become a department within the DLA and he is genuinely excited about the intent of this legislation to streamline how students are prepared for what he calls the “new knowledge economy.”

CHEO is working to review and analyze all of these proposed policies within the 2430 pages of this legislation.  It will absolutely affect every child in this state for generations to come.

IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED:

Home education is not the focus or intent of this legislation, but the shift in authority places ALL POLICIES governing home education in SERIOUS JEOPARDY. Speaker Rosenberger is making this a high priority and, as such, this legislation will likely be on a fast track – unless legislators hear from you!

1)  Please contact your own State Representative and urge him/her to OPPOSE HB512. In your own words, please express the importance of keeping policies that govern pre-K to grade 12 education with the State Board of Education, where you have an elected representative. There should not be transfer of power that will have ZERO accountability to the public. Please be respectful, yet firm, in all communications with legislators.

2)  Please contact Speaker Rosenberger (614-466-3506) and ask him to stop his efforts to take away your voice by moving most responsibilities of the State Board of Education to an unelected agency.

3) . . . You can visit the CHEO website at:  www.cheohome.org

You can find contact information for your state representative at www.legislature.ohio.gov

More details on yesterday's Action Alert concerning House Bill 512 are here.

# # #