Ohio Moves Ahead with Removing Power from State School Board

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine planned to move ahead Monday afternoon with moving control of the state’s education system from the school board to his office.

In July, DeWine signed the state’s two-year budget, which included legislation to transfer the duties of the majority-elected state board to the new cabinet-level Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

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Oklahoma Education Board Disciplines School Districts for Allegedly Teaching Critical Race Theory

The Oklahoma State Board of Education disciplined both Tulsa Public Schools and Mustang Public Schools last week for reportedly violating a law preventing Critical Race Theory from being taught in public schools.

The state board determined at a meeting on Thursday that the two school districts violated HB 1775, which broadly prohibits race- or sex-based discrimination.

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Liberal Lawmakers Pushing Adoption of State Health Standards for Schools Want State School Board Support, Opponent Calls Their Bill ‘Deceptive’

Ohio is the only state in the nation that does not have statewide health standards for teaching health education in public schools. Liberal state lawmakers are pushing for that to change with Senate Bill 121, blaming the lack of government-mandated standards for Ohio’s high opioid addiction rate and poor health outcomes. They did not provide any empirical evidence to prove their claim when State Senators Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard) explained their bill to the State School Board last week, hoping to get their advocacy.

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State School Board Passes Compensation Increases for Future Board Members Who Put in Extra Hours

The State Board of Education approved a resolution seven to three that would allow future Board members to apply for additional compensation. The vote was seven to three. Resolution 23 was listed under “Miscellaneous Resolutions,” and entitled “Resolution for Additional Compensation Hours for Members of the State Board of Education.”

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School Choice Gets a Boost in Ohio State Budget

  With a vote on House Bill 166, the state budget bill, occurring within days, school choice supporters may have something to cheer about. One big winner appears to be the EdChoice Scholarship program that provides state dollars to students who wish to attend private schools. The program is capped,…

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Ohio State School Board Poised to Pass Social-Emotional Learning Standards That Teach ‘Attitudes, Behaviors and Dispositions’

  Late last summer the State Board of Education and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria announced Ohio’s new five-year “Strategic Plan” for education. There are four “domains” in the plan, but only two are focused on academics. Reading, math, science and other classes are included in the academic half of the…

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