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State Representative Jim Buchy
Making Sure
Charter Schools Serve the Best Interest of Our Kids
In western Ohio, we have some of the best teachers and families, who
provide our students superior educational achievement. That’s
why, every year, our public schools rank in the top when compared to
the other schools in the state. For areas where that is not the
case, it is important that families have access to other options.
Over the past couple decades, charter and community schools have played
a very valuable role in educating our young people here in Ohio. They
provide alternative options for parents and students, some of whom may
be excellent learners, but just need to find an environment that best
suits their needs and interests. I believe charter schools serve that
purpose exceptionally.
However, there have also been some concerns that have come about in
regards to the oversight and accountability of these schools. It was
apparent that some reforms were needed in order both provide great
educational opportunities for students, as well as make sure that
taxpayers were getting the best value for their dollars.
Ohio’s charter schools provide a low cost option for public school
children that are struggling in their traditional schools. Many
charter schools use state-of-the-art teaching methods and technology
that improve student achievement when compared to other students in a
similar situation at a public school. For those charter schools
that are failing, it is important to provide clear expectations and
increased transparency.
What resulted was House Bill 2, legislation that I supported and worked
on along with my colleagues in the House since the beginning of this
year. In a nutshell, what we did with House Bill 2 was increase the
accountability on Ohio’s charter school system and make sure that
expenditures of charter school sponsors are adequately reported. In the
long run, we hope that these reforms will help us identify the schools
that are deficient and give them the management tools to upgrade the
way they are managing their schools.
We also improved oversight in the way we monitor the performance of
these schools. Make no mistake, there are some excellent charter and
community schools in Ohio that make an incredibly positive difference
in the lives of kids and teenagers. But schools with poor academic
performance have to be a priority so that we can help them improve or
take other steps if necessary.
This all comes down to the kids, and that is one thing that can never
get lost in the conversation about education. At the same time, the
taxpayers deserve to know where and how their money is being spent. I
believe that by increasing accountability measures on charter schools
in Ohio, we can achieve the important goals of helping our children
succeed.
Please give me your opinion on this topic and other important issues by
completing a brief online survey at
tinyurl.com/buchynovember2015
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