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ACTIONS & UPDATES
Week of November 8, 2021
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THE WEEK AHEAD...
HFOE Family and Friends,
THANK YOU to the thousands of Ohioans who cast their ballots in the 2021 General Election. We are humbled and proud to be amongst citizens of all stripes who engage in our democratic process to boldly advocate for themselves, their families, and their communities. ❤️
As champions for Honesty in Education, we are coming out of an anxiety-riddled week full of highs and lows from local school board races, unfathomable power dynamics at the State Board of Education, and concerning legislative gymnastics at the Statehouse.
The week ahead proves to be no different as we:
Survey the victories for honest education and Diversity, Equity Inclusion at local school boards and brace for incoming
"anti-CRT" agendas;
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Prepare for next week's State Board of Education meeting, with a likely vote for a new Board President and attempts to dismantle Ohio's education strategic plan; and
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Ready our testimony for upcoming hearings on the
newly revised Sub HB 327.
The work is ever-present... and so are we.
TAKE STRENGTH AND COURAGE from the
tireless students, families, educators, education leaders, and education organizations who are on the front lines
protecting Honesty in Education every single day.
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UPDATES
STATEHOUSE
PREPARE YOUR TESTIMONY
It is very likely that the State and Local Government (SLG) Committee will schedule a hearing next week for the newly revised Sub HB 327, and call for NEW testimony on the bill. Prepare your testimony now so it is ready to submit when the hearing is announced. Updated information about Sub HB 327 is available on the website. ** Keep an eye out for updates and alerts throughout the week. **
IMPORTANT: Do not submit your testimony before the hearing is announced.
Testimony Template HERE
Updated Information about HB 322 & 327 HERE
Why Honesty in Education Matters HERE
NO SCHEDULED ACTIVITY FOR HB 322 & 327 THIS WEEK
The SLG Committee has not scheduled any activity or testimony on HB 322 or Sub HB 327 for the week of November 8. Always be on alert for any last-minute changes to the committee agenda.
RELATED NEWS
Nov 9, The Culture War Fought In Local School Board Races Expected To Continue In Ohio 2022 Election, Cleveland.com
Nov 8, School board races, masks and critical race theory drove turnout in Hamilton County, Cincinnati.com
Nov 7, Ohio Legislators Don Dunce Caps Once Again To Meddle In Curriculum: Thomas Suddes, Cleveland.com
Nov 7, After Virginia Election, GOP Amplifies Debate Over Race And Education, LA Times
Nov 6, Fargo Lawmaker Leading Drive To Ban Critical Race Theory In North Dakota Schools, KFGO
Nov 1, Race Theory Education Bill Gets Changes Sponsors Hope Make It More ‘positive’, Ohio Capital Journal
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
NEW BOARD PRESIDENT
The State Board of Education (SBOE) is expected to vote for a new Board President at the next SBOE meeting on November 15-16. Members will vote to replace former Board President Laura Kohler, who was pressured to resign last week over her refusal to rescind the Board's Resolution to Condemn Racism and Advance Equity in October.
Eric Poklar also resigned last week under pressure for his refusal to rescind the resolution. Hours after their resignations, Governor Mike DeWine appointed two new members to the Board: Richard J. Chernesky of Waynesville, in Warren County, and Brandon Kern of Amanda, in Fairfield County.
Conversely, the Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee recently confirmed the appointments of three Board members after they voted to rescind the Board resolution, two of whom voted in favor of the resolution in July 2020*:
TAKE ACTION
STEP 1: ATTEND THE NEXT SBOE MEETING
The SBOE is scheduled to meet on November 15 -16, with public comment invited on November 16. This is your opportunity to voice your disappointment and outrage over the harmful and irresponsible actions of the SBOE that will adversely impact Ohio's 610+ school districts and the 1.6 million students they serve.
Speak Out About:
STEP 2: SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OR AN OP-ED
Take a second step and submit your statement as a letter to the editor or op-ed. The editorial section is a high-impact way to communicate the gravity of these issues to Ohioans across the state. Be sure to comply with the word count and submission requirements of the newspaper.
RELATED NEWS
Nov 7, Ohio Legislators Don Dunce Caps Once Again To Meddle In Curriculum: Thomas Suddes, Cleveland.com
Nov 5, ‘We Should Not Be Doing Anything That Divides Kids:’ Gov. Mike Dewine Explains Requests For Ohio State School Board Resignations, cleveland.com
Oct 31, Has Ohio really sunk to muzzling those who urge honest conversations about race in our schools?, cleveland.com
Oct 29, Two Ohio State Board of Education Members Forced to Resign Because They Weren't Racist Enough, Cleveland Scene
Oct 29, Gov. Mike Dewine Appoints 2 New People To Ohio State Board Of Education, Both With Ties To Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, cleveland.com
LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS
LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD RACES
According to the Ohio School Board Association, 2,600 candidates ran for local school board seats across Ohio this year, which is a 50% increase from 4 years ago. Nearly half of those running this year were new candidates, which is a significant increase with 1,287 running in 2021, compared to 807 in 2019.
Across the state, a majority of candidates championing honest education and diversity, equity, and inclusion won their seats in Northeast Ohio, while Western, Central, and Southern Ohio saw mixed results.
You can find election results in your area or any of Ohio's 88 counties HERE
UPCOMING EVENT
Legislative Briefing for Ohio School Board Members
Tuesday, December 7, 7pm
Hosted By: HFOE in partnership with ACLU Ohio, Ohio Federation of Teachers, and Ohio Education Association
Join us for an important informational session for new and incumbent board members about HB 322 and Sub HB 327, and their impact on district operations and student learning.
REGISTER
RELATED NEWS
Nov 9, The Culture War Fought In Local School Board Races Expected To Continue In Ohio 2022 Election, Cleveland.com
Nov 6, Culture War Fight Finds Mixed Success in School Board Races, USA News
Nov 3, 4 Takeaways from November School Board Races, Columbus Dispatch
Nov 3, History-Making Firsts: Michelle Wu, Winsome Sears, Alvin Bragg, Other Candidates Of Color Win Local Elections, USA Today
Nov 3, We Need More Conversations About Race In Our Schools, Not Fewer, Cleveland.com
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UPCOMING EVENTS...
Thursday, November 11, 7am
Protecting Honesty in Education | Radio Interview with Jimmy Malone and HFOE
HOSTED BY: Majic 105.7 / WMJI
LISTEN
Friday, November 12, 2pm
How Can Data-Driven Instructional Programming Promote Equity and Student Achievement?
HOSTED BY: Education Week
REGISTER
Thursday, November 18, 3pm
What's Behind the CRT Controversy
HOSTED BY: Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, OSU
REGISTER
Friday, December 3, Noon
First Friday Lunch and Learn
HOSTED BY: HFOE
Learn how to have and manage difficult conversations around honest education and ideological differences... just in time for the holidays ; )
REGISTER
Tuesday, December 7, 7pm
Legislative Briefing for Ohio School Board Members
HOSTED BY: HFOE in partnership with ACLU Ohio, Ohio Federation of Teachers, and Ohio Education Association
Join us for an important informational session for new and incumbent board members about HB 322 and Sub HB 327, and their impact on district operations and student learning.
REGISTER
Wednesday, February 22, 11am
Brown Girl Dreaming: Exploring Identity and Belonging with Jacqueline Woodson
HOSTED BY: Facing History & Ourselves
REGISTER
ICYMI
Advocacy 101 Workshop: How Things Work in the Statehouse
HOSTED BY: Ohio Voter Rights Coalition, Featuring Innovation Ohio, League of Women Voters Ohio, All Voting Is Local
WATCH
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IN THE NEWS...
Nov 8, School board races, masks and critical race theory drove turnout in Hamilton County, Cincinnati.com
Nov 7, After Virginia Election, GOP Amplifies Debate Over Race And Education, LA Times
Nov 7, The Culture War Fought In Local School Board Races Expected To Continue In Ohio 2022 Elections
Nov 7, Ohio Legislators Don Dunce Caps Once Again To Meddle In Curriculum: Thomas Suddes, Cleveland.com
Nov 6, Fargo Lawmaker Leading Drive To Ban Critical Race Theory In North Dakota Schools, KFGO
Nov 6, Culture War Fight Finds Mixed Success in School Board Races, USA News
Nov 6, Elwood Watson: Conservatives Cling to Faux Outrage Over Critical Race Theory, Noozhawk.com
Nov 5, ‘We Should Not Be Doing Anything That Divides Kids:’ Gov. Mike Dewine Explains Requests For Ohio State School Board Resignations, cleveland.com
Nov 3, History-Making Firsts: Michelle Wu, Winsome Sears, Alvin Bragg, Other Candidates Of Color Win Local Elections, USA Today
Nov 3, American Psychological Association Says it's Sorry for Perpetuating Systemic Racism, ideastream
Nov 3, Four Takeaways From Ohio’s Local School Board Elections, Columbus Dispatch
Nov 3, We Need More Conversations About Race In Our Schools, Not Fewer, Cleveland.com
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HFOE PARTNERS
HFOE Proudly Welcomes Our Newest Partner:
The Ohio Student Association
OSA is a leading student-led organization that organizes around social justice issues, civic engagement, cultural empowerment. Connect with OSA HERE
Become an HFOE Partner today!
Learn how your organization or business can join a statewide effort working to ensure that all students, regardless of background, race, identity, or zip code, are respected and celebrated, and receive a high-quality education grounded in honesty and facts.
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HFOE WEBSITE
The HFOE website is a centralized resource for Ohioans to learn about the three threats facing Honesty in Education, ways to take action, and share information. There is also a comprehensive RESOURCE page with helpful links, toolkits, and news updates.
Learn more about:
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SHARE!
Tell us about Honesty in Education in your community. Send us recent news, events, upcoming and past meetings, community organizing, and personal stories. We want to hear from you! Email us HERE
Share HFOE with your community. Share the H4OE website, resources, newsletter, and social media accounts within your community and professional networks. Encourage your family, friends, and community to get engaged and stay informed!
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GIVE TO HONESTY FOR OHIO EDUCATION
Your generous tax-deductible contribution enables H4OE to network across the state by educating communities, building advocacy, and sharing resources. Help students, families, educators, and communities protect Honesty in Education throughout Ohio.
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