4 minute read
Legislative Update
FRESH FACES BRING OPTIMISM
BY BARBARA SHANER OAESA PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTER
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The 133rd General Assembly convened in January. The Ohio House welcomed a relatively large freshman class of newly elected members. The new faces in the House make up about a third of the total membership. A new Speaker of the House was elected and committee assignments doled out. I should point out that the “new” Speaker is not really new–Speaker Larry Householder began a second run as a state representative two years ago. Term limits ended his first stint as Speaker back in 2004, so he comes back to the job with some experience. A challenge for lobbyists like me is getting to know all these new legislators. And it takes awhile for them to remember who we are and who we each represent. Typically, new members coming in aren’t given a leading role in the legislative process. But this time around, with so many new members and because of other factors tied to the election of the House Speaker, we’re seeing some new members taking on significant responsibilities. There are also differences in the assignments for returning members. For instance, Representative Louis W. Blessing, III (R – Cincinnati) will serve as the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee Chairman. Chairman Blessing is a professional engineer and has never served on the Education Committee. He freely admits he has a lot to learn. He has chaired committees on topics other than education since coming to the legislature, and most observers count him as a thoughtful, fair-minded, and effective leader. To prepare himself for the committee’s work, he has already reached out to stakeholders for help in getting up to speed on education issues. Even though Representative Don Jones (R – Freeport) was just elected to the House in November 2018, he has been appointed ViceChairman of the Primary and Secondary Education Committee. A former educator of 23 years, Representative Jones brings a fresh look to the legislature, and he comes with a good understanding of what it’s like to be where the rubber meets the road. He was an agriculture education teacher in eastern Ohio, and he’s an enthusiastic supporter of public education. He has already gained a reputation for being accessible and easy to talk with. The Senate has several new members, too, but some have merely switched chambers (former House members, term limited and then elected to the Senate). Senator Peggy Lehner (R – Kettering) returns as chair of the Senate Education Committee. While there are some new committee members, only one is completely new to the legislature. “It’s important that we stretch beyond the boundaries of the profession to enlighten those who are in a policymaking role.
As I walk the halls of the statehouse and schedule office visits for meeting and greeting new legislators, I’m struck by the generally positive mood and air of optimism these new faces bring with them. It may just be they haven’t yet been “beaten down” by the difficulty in getting bills passed, but it is refreshing to witness such optimism. They came to Columbus to make a difference, and they’re determined to do so. Many are also talking about how important education is to the success of our state. It’s not new for elected officials to claim they’re an “education legislator,” but what I see with many of these new members is an ability to articulate the details of some specific education policy issues. Their claim of concern doesn’t seem to be just a campaign slogan.
All that said, it’s not hard to find evidence of naïveté in both new and veteran lawmakers. This issue of the Navigator highlights “Stories of Purpose” with a view toward highlighting the magic that occurs every day in school buildings across the state. The goal is to share our stories and inspire each other as we work to improve the lives of students. It’s important that we stretch beyond the boundaries of the profession to enlighten those who are in a policymaking role.
My meetings with new House members have reminded me of kindergarten. Those eager new faces are excited to get to work, and they’re trying to soak up all the new information they can. They’re learning about roads and bridges, Medicaid, the judicial system, higher education… you get the picture. More than one new House member has mentioned the expression, “drinking from a fire hose.”
While many know something about public education and can talk about pressing issues like problems with Academic Distress Commissions, the need for report card reform, and for changes in graduation requirements, there is a lot they don’t know. OAESA members will need to feed them information about the details, and help to put a “visual” with the stories.
You’ll soon be hearing more about an initiative the OAESA Advocacy Service Team is undertaking that encourages members to invite a legislator to visit their school. We hope you’ll participate. If our brains operate like our closets should, “in with the new, out with the old,” it’s important to keep information flowing about the good things happening in schools, the challenges you face, and the possible positive or negative effects of specific legislative proposals. Be sure to watch for the details of this exciting (and magical) initiative in future publications and communications.
Barbara Shaner is OAESA’s Advocacy Specialist. If you need more information, contact the author at barbaracshaner@gmail.com. She will be presenting “Education Legislation Update” as the morning session at the 62nd Annual Professional Conference and Trade Show on Friday, June 14, from 11:15–12pm.
