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The
Ohio Fair Schools Campaign platform was approved by
our members on October 28, 2002 and amended on February
2, 2004.
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Principles
1. All Ohio children should have quality public education
opportunities as a fundamental right, wherever they live,
whatever their race, and whatever their family background.
2. The success of a system of local public schools derives
from the commitment and engagement of the citizenry of the
local community that the schools serve.
3. A system of well-funded public schools is necessary for
the public good.
4. Paying a fair share of taxes for essential public services
such as education is a civic responsibility for individuals
and businesses.
5. The current system for funding public education in Ohio
needs complete reform.
6. Ohio's system for funding public education must be fair
and equitable, and it must be understandable.
7. The solution should not involve taking funds from presently
well-funded schools or leveling down.
Goals
1. Establish public education as a fundamental right for all
Ohio children.
2. Require lawmakers to define the services and resources
needed to enable all children to meet the state's educational
standards.
3. Determine the actual cost of providing constitutionally
mandated educational opportunities and fully fund this program.
4. Distribute funding equitably by significantly increasing
the role of state revenue and reducing local property tax.
5. Require that the State fully fund all state education mandates.
6. Address concentrated family poverty (rural and urban) through
adequate additional state support for districts serving children
in poverty.
7. Provide for financial stability for all districts by reducing
the need for frequent levies.
8. Repair or replace worn facilities without over-reliance
on the local match.
9. Rebuild participation and local control and governance
of local schools.
10. Require all schools funded with public money to meet and
be accountable to the same state standards.
11. Require that local school district resources be used solely
for schools fully accountable to locally elected public school
boards.
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We
are a coalition of community
organizations, non-profits, faith networks, local congregations,
parent organizations, and concerned citizens from
rural, urban and suburban areas. We work towards a real solution
to the school funding crisis.
Our
Board of Directors
is comprised of individuals representing our member groups.
Members and affiliated groups work on
a variety of issues that are important in their local communities.
The Fair Schools Campaign helps make the connections between
local issues and state funding policies.
In addition to attending local meetings, our members meet once
a month in Columbus. Our meetings are usually attended by representatives
from our member groups, but they are open to anyone who is interested
in working towards a solution to school funding. For
info about our next meeting, visit our home
page.
If you belong to a group that would like to join the Campaign,
please fill out a memo
of understanding and mail it to us. Or, if
you want to talk about ways you group can be part of the Campaign,
contact Steve Steel,
Director of Field Organizing.
Some
of our accomplishments include:
 Providing
a bi-weekly e-news to help keep a growing network of citizens
informed on the issue of school funding.
In
2006 we coordinated a public engagement process to provide
input on a possible remedy for the school funding crisis.
More than 3,000 people took an online survey on the components
of a remedy, and 36 house parties were held to foster small
group dialogue.
In
May 2006 we organized a statewide education conference and
lobby day. One hundred participants were involved in meeting
with legislators, hearing student presentations, and developing
action plans for their own communities.
Providing
ongoing action alerts and online tools for citizen participation.
In 2005, more than 2,000 people have e-mailed their legislators
and over 700 e-mailed members of the Senate Education committee
during their public testimony period.
Training
students on school funding and organizing, and supporting
their efforts to educate their communities about school
funding. In 2005, fifteen students testified in committee
hearings about the impact of school funding on their schools,
including six from Cleveland Municipal School District.
During
the 2005 state budget process we provided training to citizen
groups and supported participation by citizens: 280 individuals
met with their legislators, 12 students, four parents, two
teachers, one principal, and three community members testified
in committee.
Since
2001 we have coordinated an annual student essay contests
on school funding in Ohio, providing an opportunity for
young people's voices to be heard on this issue that affects
them so directly.
In
2004, we coordinated seven public hearings in April and
May in the spring of 2004 to give citizens a chance to speak
to members of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force. More
than 1200 people attended, and 196 people testified about
the needs and priorities of their local schools.
Arranged
for parents and teachers at four schools to discuss their
concerns about the funding system with State Representatives.
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