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Charter Schools 101

Publication for Members of Central OEA/NEA • Adrienne M. Bowden, President

The creation of charter schools in Ohio has become a source of contention among educators and policymakers. Seventeen years ago, Ohio first authorized charter schools with 15 opening in 1998. Since then, charter schools have increasingly siphoned funding from local public school districts while offering a poorer quality educational option. Ohio currently has 400 operating charter schools.

What are charter schools?Charters are publicly-funded primary and secondary schools that have been released from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to traditional public schools. The label as a public institution means it is tuition free. Charters operate under a contract with a sponsoring company. A few operating companies, such as Whitehat Management, control several charter schools. While charters are operated as nonprofits, the management of charters can operate as for-profit, nonprofit, or by local school districts.

Adrienne M. Bowden (Pickerington E.A.), Central OEA/NEA President

How many children attend charter schools?In 2013-14, Ohio had the 5th largest increase in new operating charter schools with 45 new schools opening. Approximately 119,500 of Ohio’s 1.8 million students were enrolled in a charter school this academic year. The number of students who actually complete a year or graduate is much fewer. Charter schools have a total dropout rate of 21%.

How do charter schools compare to traditional schools?The state evaluates both charter and traditional schools through the annual report cards. In 2012-2013, few charters earned an A on the Performance Index. Charters mostly earned D’s (58%) compared to their traditional school

counterparts (3%). On value-added measures, a third of charters earned an A compared to 46% of traditional schools. In short, traditional schools are still generally performing better than the charters in the area. Charter schools have a graduation rate of 30-40% compared to 80% in traditional schools.

Traditional schools must provide several services most charter schools do not, such as transportation, maintaining facilities, and free-lunch programs.

How are charter schools funded?Ohio’s 400 charter schools will receive almost a billion dollars in state money this year, money that was originally allocated for traditional public schools.

FACTS• Due to $774 million being deducted from traditional public schools in FY 2012 to fund charters, each child in traditional public schools received, on average, $235 (or 6.5%) less state aid than the state itself said each student needed

• More than 90% of the money sent to charter schools in 2011-2012 went to charters that, on average, score significantly lower on the Performance Index Score than the public schools students had left

• A number of high-performing suburban school districts are now among the biggest per-pupil funding losers

• Two-thirds of Ohio’s charter schools are under academic watch or emergency

• 53% of children transferring into charter schools are leaving districts whose performance is better than the charters into which they are going

• On average, charters spend nearly double the amount spent by traditional public schools on non-instructional administrative costs (24% vs. 13%)

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Volume 42, Number 3 • Summer 2014

COMMUNIQUÉPublished four times a year as a service of

CENTRAL OEA/NEA, INC.947 Goodale Blvd.Columbus, OH 43212

Adrienne M. Bowden, President

Kevin Griffin, Vice President

Russell Hughlock, Communications & Organizing Coordinator

Editors Ann Eblin, Judy Furnas & Carla Noll

Fiscal Manager Mark Meuser

Production Russell Hughlock

Design Pam McClung

Phone 614-222-8228

E-mail aa@centraloeanea.org

Becky Visits Hilliard Mary Kennedy, Hilliard E.A President

OEA President Becky Hig-gins, along with Central OEA/NEA officers Adrienne Bowden and Kevin Grif-fin, toured the new McVey Innovative Learning Center of Hilliard City Schools. As part of the tour we heard about the Education Net-works housed at the ILC. The Personal Success Network allows students to experience school in a non-traditional, personalized way. The Young Profes-sionals Network allows for students to experience their

On April 28, Becky Higgins, OEA President, came to Central

for her spring listening tour. This “Becky Day” focus was on innova-

tion, technology, and the arts. The day began with a visit to Herbert Mills Elementary and Bald-win Road STEM Middle schools in Reynoldsburg. The next part of the day was a trip to the Hilliard Innovation Learning Center. The day ended with a musical presenta-tion at Kenton Ridge High School in Springfield. President Higgins was able to see the work our members do that cannot be measured on state standardized tests.

schooling through opportu-nities outside of the regular classroom. The Imagination Network allows students to creatively explore learning through the humanities, and the College Jump Start Network allows students to experience Higher Ed course work while in high school. We had the op-portunity to visit the media green room, where stu-dents learn about broad-casting and the recording studio, and can experience the music production side of the business.The most powerful part of the visit was the chance to sit down and talk to some of the students in the diversity groups, organized

by teacher Janet Monseur-Durr. These students shared their personal stories of how they came to be com-fortable with who they are. Their stories touched our lives and brought tears to our eyes. They encouraged us to share their stories and help all students be proud of who they are, wherever they are in their life’s jour-ney. It was a great day and we are thrilled that Becky chose to visit us.

Becky visits ReynoldsburgKim Cooper, Reynolds-burg E.A Co-President

Reynoldsburg City Schools was delighted and honored to have Becky Higgins visit Herbert Mills Elementary STEM School and Baldwin Road STEM School. She began her visit at Herbert Mills with our Morning ROAR. The entire school meets daily for our morning announcements, Pledge of Allegiance, school pledge, and daily brain boost. It was a great way for Becky

to see how we begin each day. Principal Teresa Smith and Superintendent Steve Dackin gave Becky a tour of the building. Mrs. Smith shared the data walls to highlight student progress. She was able to talk with a few teachers as their day began. Time went quickly at Herbert Mills, and we moved the tour to Baldwin Road STEM School.

Principal Jaclyn Angle gave Becky a tour of Baldwin. Becky was able to see most of the classrooms and talk with some teachers as stu-dents worked to prepare for the upcoming OAAs. Mrs. Angle explained the sched-ule and the varying class sizes. Both principals shared how they have seen teach-ers grow with OTES as well as some of the challenges and flaws of the laws related to OTES. It was a great op-portunity for teachers and administrators to share the successes and challenges that education evolution holds.

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July 29 - 30Registration begins at 11 a.m. on the 29th

Cherry Valley Lodge2299 Cherry Valley Rd SE, Newark

To make reservations call 740-788-1306. Only 1 member per room needs to call.

For reimbursement, submit voucher and receipt.

Reimbursement for double occupancy: $120. For single: $60.

Room rate: $109 +tax.

Deadline for registration is July 11th.

The Central OEA/NEA Leadership Development Committee would like to encourage local association leaders, and their bargaining team members, to take this opportunity to build their leadership and bargaining teams for 2014-15.

The Conference will focus on communications and communityrelations. Participants will engage in team-building activities and will have time to develop their local association goals for the new school year.

Locals may request, in advance, a 5-year analysis of their local GFA.

Registration is REQUIRED

www.centraloeanea.org

Central OEA/NEApresents

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Can you imagine the furor if the same could be said of our schools?

Even The Columbus Dis-patch seems to be waking up to the disaster of our charter school laws. In January, it reported that 17 charter schools in Colum-bus closed in just one year. Staggering, but further analysis of state data found that 29 percent of Ohio’s charter schools have shut, since 1997. With these closures goes much of the money invested – and it’s rarely recovered.

In April, The Plain Dealer reported on one such Cleveland charter school that spent public money on steaks and plane tickets. This school was closed for poor academic perfor-mance. The Auditor of State called the situation “theft from children,” and not unique.

In response to these and other stories, lawmakers Joe Schiavoni and John Patrick Carney (A Central OEA/NEA friend of Educa-tion award winner) have introduced SB190. The

proposed legislation does the following:

• Requires nonpublic opera-tors and nonpublic sponsors of a community school to comply with public records pertaining to all records that deal with the management or sponsorship of the school

• Requires a community school to establish a public records commission and public records retention schedule as required by Ohio public schools • Requires the Auditor of the state to annually audit each community school operator and community school sponsor, covering only public funds for non-public operators or sponsors

Recognizing that the charter school experiment in Ohio has failed students, Cen-tral OEA/NEA joined with a diverse group of educa-tion stakeholders to de-velop a set of charter school reforms. Currently being drafted into legislation, we hope these reforms are introduced and passed in a bipartisan manner.

These “Great Schools for All” reforms, center on 3 basic principles: Transpar-ency, Accountability and Collaboration.

Transparency• Charter schools, their board members, sponsors and operators should meet the same public records, open meetings and financial reporting requirements as traditional public schools

• Charter school operator performance will be in-cluded on the state’s Annual Report

Accountability

• Charter school operators’ books should be open for public inspection

• Charter schools and their sponsors should be required to re-pay the taxpayers of Ohio if a charter school closes prior to the end of the academic year.

• Adopt tough charter au-thorizer standards based on national standards

• If a charter school is closed for academic failure, or is rejected for sponsor-ship, another cannot open in the same location or apply to another sponsor

• ODE should have strong authority to reject the ex-pansion of poor performing charters in Ohio, rather than approving them on a first-come, first-served basis

Collaboration

• Allow charter schools to partner with districts and educational service centers for shared services

• Allow non-conversion charter schools to become part of districts, as well as allow district schools to become charter schools

• Prioritize access to surplus district physical space to high-performing charter schools who are partnering and collaborating with tradi-tional public districts

• Incentivize districts and high-performing charter schools to work together on educational improve-ment strategies, creating a clearinghouse at the Ohio Department of Education of best practices in both systems

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Whether you serve in the field of education as a secretary, custodian, school bus driver, food service worker, math teacher, music teacher, library media specialist or guidance counselor you understand that all of us are desperately defending the educational castle. This castle is being dismantled stone-by-stone with attacks from privatization, teacher evaluation, student learning outcomes, and errant residency programs.

Four brave individuals shared their stories on Friday, May 16th at the Central OEA Legislative dinner. Amber Clark, Amanda West, Jeanne Wohlgamuth and Cheryl Williams stood before a room of comrades and shared their stories. They gave words to what their daily work lives have become since the onslaught of legislation and educational change that threatens all of us. They stood as examples for those of us who have yet

The Central Legislative DinnerSoozie Hetterscheidt (Olentangy E.A.) Area 2 PAC

to find the courage to share our stories. Collectively, our stories will become the armor that protects us, but more importantly protects those we enlisted to serve...students.

Mike Collins (State School Board), Lee Schreiner (SWCS Board), and Scott DiMauro (OEA Vice President) armed us with information about SB 229, OTES, Ohio Constitutional change, Third Grade Guarantee, charter schools and privatization. These leaders gave those in attendance the information to share with parents, legislators and anyone who will listen the narrative of being a public educator.

Craft your story from your experience, fortify it with the truth of reality and then go out to destroy that that has threatened what we know to be important. A quality public education for EVERY student by qualified and invested individuals that make the force we know as OEA!

Friday, August 1, 2014

Hilltop Swim Club2737 Valleyview Dr, Columbus, OH 43204

Members can stop by anytime between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Cost is $7 per person. Family members are welcome.Registration is not required.

continued from Charter Schools 101 on page 1.

The freedom charters receive from state rules and regulations has led to a lack of accountability.

The result has been performance problems and financial abuses. More than 120 charter schools have collapsed during the past 13 years. Last year Ohio was

third in the nation with the largest number of charter closures at 19 (behind California and Florida).

When a charter closes, the state funding does not go back to the traditional home school. Closing charters owe the state millions of dollars.

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President Adrienne Bowden brought down the gavel at 9 a.m. on April 26, 2014, to call to order the 43rd Central OEA/NEA Representative Assembly, with 118 delegates and 36 guests attending. The day began with the presentation of the Central Friend of Education Award to Maureen Ready, a retired OEA member and former Teacher of the Year. She has long been an energetic and tireless advocate for public education who never fails to speak up for students, teachers and support staff.

Members voted overwhelmingly to pass one new business item and approved the 2014-15 budget. Five proposals were brought to and passed by the body to add new language or amend current language to the Constitution and Bylaws. Cheryl Williams was elected to represent ESP’s on the Central Board. We thanked Jackie Hastilow for her service to the board.

Candidates for OEA Board of Directors At Large Jamel Ammons and Andrea Beeman addressed the assembly. The Central Screening Committee endorsed Jamel for the position. The committee also endorsed Karen Wright, OEA ESP At Large and the two candidates running unopposed for the NEA Director #1 and #2 positions.

Recap of the 43rd Central OEA/NEA Representative AssemblyJanice Vaughn (Springfield E.A), OEA board of Directors.

Barry Alcock, Sandra Bell-Duckworth, Mary Binegar, Sue Christinson, Scott DiMauro, and Bill Liebensberger were given special recognition to honor their years of service and dedication to Central. The stage was full of SCOPE members as they received LEAD Award. Outstanding Local Grassroots Activist Award Winners were: Dave

Palguta (Gahanna Jefferson EA), Sherry Tracey (Lancaster EA), Richie Hines (Lancaster EA), Jeanne Melvin (Hilliard EA), Ned Basinger (Pickerington EA), Lindsay Dexter (Gahanna Jefferson EA), and Karen Lee (Westerville EA). Chuck Burkhardt and Robin Trafford, both from Hilliard, Amy Grittani (SWEA) and Rita Gore (OEA-R) took

home the Accolades Award. The Richard J. Hensler Meritorious Service was given to Tim Skamfer, Gahanna-Jefferson, and Sandra Bell-Duckworth, Westerville. The President’s Award went to Mary Kennedy, Hilliard. Congratulations and thank you to all recipients.

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On May 9 and 10, 938 OEA members attended the spring Representa-tive Assembly of the Ohio Education Association as delegates. President Becky Higgins convened the as-sembly — the last to be held at Veterans Memorial Auditorium before it is torn down and redeveloped — with the theme: “One Mis-sion, One Goal, One Team.”

A highlight of the Represen-tative Assembly was the appearance of gubernatorial challenger Ed FitzGerald, who addressed the enthusi-astic and supportive del-egates. It is quite evident that Ed respects educators and will 1) include educators in decision making; 2) focus more on investing than test-ing; 3) acknowledge that privatization is only working for CEOs; 4) end obsession

One Mission, One Goal, One Team Tim Skamfer (Gahanna-Jefferson E.A.), OEA Board of Directors

with high-stakes standard-ized testing; 5) support curriculum that addresses development of the whole child – including the arts; and 6) invest in early child-hood education.

Delegates elected the following statewide candi-dates: Emily Osterling, NEA Director #1; Janifer Trowles, NEA Director #2; Andrea Beeman, OEA Board of Directors At-Large; and Karen Wright, OEA Board of Directors At-Large ESP.

Proposal 1, to amend the OEA Constitution passed overwhelmingly with 93% of the vote. The amend-ment clarifies term limits for members of the OEA Board of Directors holding unit seats. No member of the Board may be elected for more than two consecu-

tive three-year terms in any unit position. Delegates also approved the proposed 2014-2016 two-year budget, along with the 2014-2015 Resolutions Report.

There were 10 new busi-ness items (NBIs) intro-duced at the assembly, and six were approved. NBI #1 states: OEA shall propose and organize support for legislation to implement a three-year suspension on all high-stakes decisions tied to student standardized test results beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. NBI #2 asserts: OEA shall work with external partners to organize an information campaign to raise public awareness of failing for-profit charter schools in Ohio. The campaign will highlight the negative finan-cial and academic impact

of such schools on Ohio’s taxpayers, school districts, public school employees, and students. NBI #3 declares: OEA, working through the delegates to the Spring 2014 RA and its affiliates, shall encourage local boards of education to adopt resolutions in support of preserving the “thorough and efficient” provision of Article VI, Section 2 of the Ohio Constitution and advocating for constitutional language that strengthens the fundamental right to high quality educational opportunities for every Ohio student.

Please visit www.ohea.org for additional information about the OEA RA.

Do You Have Special Nutritional Requirements?Throughout the year, Central hosts many catered events, conferences and meetings. We are now able to offer members the ability to highlight if they have vegetarian or gluten-free special dietary requirements. Unless otherwise noted, we will request our catering provide options for these requests.

Highlighting your special dietary requirement is simple. You can do it during your account cre-ation on Central’s website, or if you already have a Central ac-count, by updating your profile. A simple 4-step graphic instruc-tion for updating your profile can be found at this link: www.centraloeanea.org/nutrition

Summer 2014

8In this issue2 Spring 2014 Becky Day

3 Building Dynamic Leadership Teams

4 Growing Recognition That the Charter School Has Failed

5 Central Legislative Dinner

6 Recap of the 43rd Central OEA/NEA Representative Assembly

7 One Mission, One Goal, One Team

7 End of Summer Pool Party

7 Do You Have Special Dietary Needs?

Central OEA / NEA

Central LegislativeDinner

Building Dynamic Leadership Teams

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDCOLUMBUS, OHPERMIT No. 204

CE NT RA L O EA/NEA, Inc.947 Goodale BoulevardColumbus, OH 43212

COMMUNIQUÉ

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Spring 2014 Becky Day

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One Mission, One Goal,One Team

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July 1- 6 NEA Representative Assembly in Denver CO.

July 29-30 Central Summer Leadership Conference at Cherry Valley Lodge, Newark

August 1 Central Summer Pool Party. Hilltop Swim Club.

August 23 New Presidents Training. Central Office, 947 Goodale Blvd, Columbus

August 27 Treasurers Workshop. Central Office, 947 Goodale Blvd, Columbus

Sept. 6 EAL & Campaign 2014 Training. Central Office, 947 Goodale Blvd, Columbus

Sept. 11 Area 2 Meeting at Tavern 42, Delaware

Sept. 16 Area 4 Meeting at J.R. Hooks, Circleville

Sept. 22 Area 3 Meeting at Simon Kenton Inn, Springfield

Sept. 24 Area 5 Meeting at OSU Golf Course, Columbus

Sept. 25 Area 1 Meeting at Granville Inn, Granville

Registrations for all events are available on Central’s website at www.centraloeanea.org