State school board opposes bill that would slash its power

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The state school board voted 11-4 Tuesday to oppose a plan to wipe out 80 percent of its power in a merger of the state departments of education, higher education and workforce transformation.

The vote comes as the Ohio House considers House Bill 512, which calls for the merger in the name of better preparing students for the workforce.

Board member Nick Owens, an elected board member from Georgetown, said voters created the board in the early 1950s to oversee education with more voice from the people and without major disruptions every time the state elects a new governor.

Shifting power to a new governor-appointed director and away from the board will take away that buffer, damage the transparency of the department and eliminate a major way for schools to communicate concerns.

Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/03/state_school_board_opposes_bill_that_would_slash_its_power.html