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State
Representative Jim Buchy
Removing
Obstacles to Quality
Education in Ohio
In
the past two years you have
heard a lot about changes to Ohio’s education system.
Through a cooperative effort between
lawmakers, teachers, parents, and students, we have passed several
bills that
increase and improve educational opportunities for young Ohioans. As we near the end of this
General Assembly,
I am proud to look back at everything the Ohio House has accomplished
to
strengthen Ohio’s schools.
In
the general assembly we took six
major steps to improve education in Ohio.
House Bill 30, House Bill 21, House Bill 96,
Senate Bill 316, House Bill
525, and House Bill 555 were enacted to give educators and students a
better
environment to teach and learn.
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House bill 30 was passed on March
30th of 2011. It
eliminated many
frivolous and unfunded requirements of schools in Ohio, including the
unfunded
all day kindergarten mandate.
•
House Bill 21 was passed on April
13th of 2011. It
permits Teach for
America participants to complete an optional master’s degree at
universities in
Ohio. They are now
teaching in
struggling schools in Ohio, connecting our nation’s brightest college
graduates
with students who deserve the opportunities Teach for America can
provide.
•
House Bill 96 was passed on
December 16th of 2011. It
specifies
dyslexia as a specific learning disability and establishes early
screening and
intervention for the benefit of children.
•
Senate Bill 316 was passed on
June 13th of 2012. It
updated a number
of aspects regarding Ohio’s curricula to improve student learning,
including
establishing a baseline reading level for all third graders to make
sure the
students are ready for higher grade levels.
•
House Bill 525 was passed on June
12, 2012. Known as
the “Cleveland Plan,”
this was a bi-partisan bill to reform the struggling Cleveland schools. I worked closely with the
Cleveland Teacher’s
Union to ensure their voice was heard in drafting and enacting the bill. The bill allows the mayor
to establish a
local panel to set standards for new charter schools to open in the
city. It also calls
for major changes in teacher
layoffs and recalls by using an evaluation process instead of strict
seniority
to make sure our best educators remain in the best positions to help
students
grow.
•
House Bill 555 was passed on
December 13th, 2012. It
revises the
report card system in Ohio to be more easily understood. It also puts Ohio’s
educational standards
inline with the federal government providing more access to federal
financial
aid for future college students.
Nothing
is more important to the
future of Ohio than the quality education of our children. As we move
into a
new year and the start of the 130th General Assembly, I will continue
to make
education a top priority in the Ohio House.
With
reapportionment my office
email has changed to rep84@ohiohouse.gov.
Please follow this quick URL to complete an
online survey and give me
your thoughts to guide priorities for the next General Assembly:
http://twelio.com/3cg0hb
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