Legislative Alerts

Legislative Update (Feb. 11, 2008)

Public Education is under attack on several fronts at the Ohio Statehouse. CEA is working closely with OEA and other partners in public education to monitor and defeat some of the following bills currently in committees.

A damaging bill that attacks CEA’s strength is SB 264. Sponsored by State Senator Carey (R-Wellston), this bill would eliminate a teachers association’s right to strike, and instead would force binding arbitration if contract negotiations reach an impasse. The Ohio Federation of Teachers and the Ohio Education Association have vehemently opposed this bill, criticizing many aspects of its implications. The Ohio School Board Association has remained neutral on this bill, but The Dispatch has opposed this bill because it takes collective bargaining procedures out of local control to a hired, unelected arbitrator. CEA has given opposition testimony to this bill as well.

HB 423, if passed, would limit the Ohio stipend for National Board Certification to only those teachers who teach math, science, technology, or engineering at a high school, or an educator who teaches in a school in Academic Watch or Emergency. HB 423 would also cut into our collective bargaining rights. It eliminates three specific topics from discussion at the bargaining table: teacher wage rate differentials (like Gainsharing and PAS), the length of the school day, and the academic calendar. CEA has given opposition testimony to this bill, and many of our members have sent postcards to committee members Tracy Heard and Ted Celeste urging them to oppose this bill.

HB 347 will eliminate Praxis III as a means to ascertain a teacher’s competence and force over 600 school districts to develop their own method of assessment. We oppose this legislation because it would stop an currently effective assessment while creating an unfunded mandate on school districts which could result in a drain of resources that are better suited for the classroom.

Finally, HB 428 and SB 270 permits the revocation of a teacher’s license for any serious convictions or if a teacher commits to an intervention program in place of a conviction. We argue that a teacher’s due process needs to be protected while simultaneously protecting our students.

CyberLobbying
You can take action now by becoming an OEA Advocate for Children and Education (ACE). To begin cyberlobbying, surf to http://ga1.org/ohea/home.html and begin lobbying from home! It is free, quick, and effective.