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Investigation sought by state school board members
By Denise Dick
COLUMBUS
Several state school board members want an investigation of Ohio Department of Education practices, including the department’s and state superintendent’s roles in developing the Youngstown Plan.
A Monday letter to Richard Ross, state superintendent of public instruction, bears the names of seven of the state school board’s 18 members (plus one seat that is vacant).
Those who signed are Stephanie Dodd of Hebron, Pat Bruns of Cincinnati, Michael Collins of Westerville, Ann Jacobs of Lima, Mary Rose Oakar of Cleveland, Roslyn Painter-Goffi of Strongsville and A.J. Wagner of Dayton.
The district seat that includes Mahoning and Columbiana is vacant. Bob Hagan resigned July 1.
Sarah Fowler of Rock Creek, whose district includes Trumbull County, didn’t sign the letter. She couldn’t be reached.
“We are taking a beating in the media, and we deserve it,” the letter says. It was emailed by Dodd to The Vindicator.
It references David Hansen, former top community schools official at the Ohio Department of Education, who resigned after a Plain Dealer article reported that he had omitted charter schools’ failing grades from the evaluations of agencies overseeing charter schools. Hansen is the husband of Gov. John Kasich’s chief of staff and campaign manager.
“Our collective failure to properly oversee the administration and employees of ODE allowed the improper ratings of charter school sponsors,” the letter says. “Unless we do a full and thorough investigation of ODE, matters could get much worse. You may believe that the evaluation incident was an isolated one, but we would be negligent in the performance of our duties if we accepted that as truth without looking further into ODE practices.”
In an email, Michael Sponhour, ODE’s director of communication and outreach, said Ross agrees that there are issues that need to be addressed with the charter sponsor evaluation system.
“The evaluations were promptly retracted, and we are working on a comprehensive plan to ensure that our evaluations are accurate and comply with the law,” Sponhour said. “The state auditor will also be looking at this matter as part of his regular review of our agency, and we welcome his review. We look forward to working with the state board to make sure these evaluations are sound.”
The members’ letter also says the investigation should include Ross’ and ODE’s role in the Youngstown Plan.
The Youngstown Plan, approved by the state Legislature in June and signed by Kasich last month, dissolves the sitting Youngstown City Schools District Academic Distress Commission and establishes a new one.
The new commission will include three members appointed by the state superintendent, one by the mayor, and a fifth, who must be a teacher, by the school board.
The commission will appoint a chief executive officer who will manage and operate the school district and who will have broad authority, including the ability to hire and fire administrators, reopen contracts and turn poor-performing schools over to outside operators.
Opponents contend that the plan was rushed through the Legislature and that educators and community leaders weren’t consulted or given the opportunity to provide input regarding the changes.
“Such investigation must include a determination of the role you and ODE played in formation of ‘The Youngstown Plan,’” the letter said.
That investigation should address how the plan bypassed a portion of the state constitution, the letter says.
That provision says public school systems should be supported by public funds “provided that each school district” will “have the power by referendum vote to determine for itself the number of members and the organization of the district board of education...,” according to the letter.