Rep. Ashford Votes in
Favor of Sweeping Charter School Reform Bill
Lawmaker expresses concerns with charter teacher retirement
restrictions
Special to The Truth
The Ohio House last week agreed on conference committee
changes to House Bill 2 (HB 2), a bipartisan education bill
aimed at increasing transparency and accountability for
Ohio’s charter schools. The months-long legislative process
culminated in significant reforms that will strengthen
oversight of a charter industry repeatedly plagued by fraud,
scandal and failing report cards.
“Since the inception of charter
schools, there has been a tremendous uphill battle to place
charter schools on the same playing field as public
schools,” said Rep. Mike Ashford (D-Toledo). “House Bill 2
is a solid first step toward ensuring that the children in
our community receive the quality education they deserve.”
HB 2 requires charter school
operators to report how they spend tax dollars, tightens
rules on student attendance and changes how the Ohio
Department of Education (ODE) rates charter sponsors. Other
changes include cracking down on “ineffective” sponsors,
improving education standards and increasing accountability
and transparency for Ohio’s oft-ridiculed charter school
system.
One last-minute change made to
HB 2 in conference committee that did raise concerns among
lawmakers was a restriction blocking new teachers at charter
schools from being a part of the state pension system. The
change will affect newly hired charter school teachers
working directly for charter operators rather than the
school districts that provide the majority of charter school
funding.
House Bill 2 passed the Ohio
House by a vote of 91-6.
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