Ohio Senate Passes Historic Education Oversight Bill

COLUMBUS— The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 1 today, cosponsored by State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), an historic overhaul and realignment of the responsibilities and duties of the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and the State School Board.

Among the changes, the bill would rename ODE as the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW.) The State School Board would still exist but most of its powers and duties, and those of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, would be transferred to DEW. 

This new department, DEW, would be a cabinet agency with a Director appointed by the Governor. That would put DEW under the authority and supervision of the Executive Branch, and its Director would be subject to a vote of approval by the Ohio Senate.

“Parents understand that results matter. During the last school year, a third of Ohio’s public-school students were chronically absent. Half of those absences were minority students. This is unacceptable," said Reynolds. "How do we make sure children are in class and are successful? We make the Department of Education and the State School Board accountable to parents. Senate Bill 1 does exactly that.”

The effort to realign the duties of the Department of Education have been discussed and supported by both Republican and Democrat governors over the last 30 years
 
Senate Bill 1 will now be considered by the Ohio House. Read more here.