State lawmakers patted themselves on the back, and deservedly so, when they enacted stronger oversight of charter schools last year. The first purpose of the new law brings improved accountability to charter school sponsors. The sound thinking is, if sponsors meet high standards, then the schools will follow. Ohio would begin to overcome its reputation as the “Wild, Wild West” when it comes to charter schools.
The effectiveness of the new regimen hinges on writing and implementing the rules. That’s what makes a meeting on Monday of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review so alarming. There is a real scandal brewing as majority Republicans look to protect their charter school benefactors.
Republicans on the committee blocked approval of a new state Department of Education rule that covered evaluations of charter sponsors. Thus a key element of oversight will not go forward.
State Rep. Greta Johnson, an Akron Democrat and a member of the committee, wasn’t exaggerating when, in opposing her Republican colleagues, she declared their action would “derail, disrupt and delay new reforms.”
The scheme is transparent: Win applause for making needed changes, and then unravel the work in the relative darkness of the rule-writing process. Recall that the charter school industry gives generously to Republican legislative campaign coffers.
Especially galling was the weak pretense for the committee action. State Sen. Bill Coley and allies blamed the Education Department for missing deadlines in processing the rule. Yet 65 of 67 sponsors in the state submitted the necessary data to the department in time.
At one point, Coley scolded the department for showing the “height of arrogance.” Yet, in a feat of irony, he left his charter friends off the hook, arguing: “I don’t see in there where the school sponsor has to dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’ on every school they sponsor.”
So the education department can be nabbed on a technicality, and charter schools need not fully comply? Presumably, lawmakers include requirements because they are deemed necessary, that provisions are not optional.
In this instance, Coley reflected what long has been disturbing about the loose Republican approach to charter schools. Which gets to the question: Are Republican legislative leaders serious about strong oversight?
They have returned the proposed rule to the Common Sense Initiative, yet this state office for evaluating regulations already gave its approval. To ensure the state keeps its commitment to higher-quality charter schools, John Kasich now must step up. The governor has authority to implement an emergency rule. He should do so. The one violation of the law that most concerns is failing to rate charter school sponsors by the October deadline.