“Laughing stock,” says Fordham Institute’s Terry Ryan, is what the Buckeye State will become if amendments to charter school legislation introduced by the Ohio House Republicans to Governor John Kasich’s budget bill (H.B. 153) are passed and signed into law.
But, who finds any of these amendments funny? In the words of Education Reform Now Executive Director, Van Schoales, “It seems as if Ohio compiled all of the worst legislation in the entire country into one state.” Ryan points out how the “new” charter amendments would actually regress Ohio charter laws to the time in the 1990’s when Ohio was considered the “wild west” of charter schools.
Why would the Republicans in the House introduce these amendments? Ryan is even-handed in his reasoning. However, others are pointing to the money and influence of White Hat Management, the largest operator of for-profit charter schools in Ohio.
Make no mistake, other charter school operators stand to gain from the relaxing of accountability for charter school operators.
The Governor’s budget bill, with the House Republican amendments, passed out of the Ohio House on Thursday evening. However, it remains to be seen what the Republican-lead Ohio Senate will do with these irresponsible amendments. So, Stay tuned.