Bill Phillis, retired deputy superintendent of schools for the state of Ohio, finds it hard to believe that a state legislature would seize control of a school district and remove its elected school board from office. When did Republicans become diehard enemies of local control? It has become clear that the state has no ideas about how to help low-scoring districts. None.
He writes:
Never thought this would happen in America
The state is in the process of replacing elected school board members in Youngstown. The electors in Youngstown elected board members. These board members will be replaced via the HB 70 process.
The Youngstown Board of Education has not been in control of the district for several years. State control of the district has not resulted in improvement. Therefore, elected board members are being removed from office because the state’s improvement process has failed. Sounds logical.
Youngstown board members have not been convicted of any crimes which would be cause for removal from office. Their hands have been tied by HB 70.
Congress and some state legislatures across the nation have not demonstrated a stellar performance. Should those elected officials be replaced by some convoluted appointment process?
How can Ohio legislators and the Governor allow this despicable process to come to fruition? HB 70 was enacted in less than 24 hours with no public input. The legislature could repeal HB 70 in less than 24 hours.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Does he know he’s late to the game? Youngstown is hardly the first state takeover in America.
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State takeovers have a well established record of failure.
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I agree. But it’s way past time for disbelief that this could happen in America. It’s been happening for decades now. The first state takeover law was apparently in New Jersey in 1987.
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The same thing has happened in Indiana to schools in Gary and Muncie. The state underfunds public schools and has given more money to charters in the current year and next year’s budget for education.
I think there is some mismanagement of money but it is also true that the state depends upon local property taxes. This works for schools that have wealthy parents but not for poor areas.
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Indiana Senate backs control shift on troubled schools
March 6, 2018
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Senate has approved a bill further reducing the power of the Gary school board while allowing Ball State University to take over Muncie’s schools.
Both districts were previously overseen by local officials who mismanaged money. Gary is over $100 million in debt and Muncie misspent a $10 million bond.
The bill approved Tuesday on a 35-14 vote would further insert the state into running the districts. The House previously approved the bill, but must sign off on changes made in the Senate.
Democrats oppose the measure, saying it’s undemocratic and would disenfranchise voters in Muncie, while further diminishing the authority of Gary’s school board. But Republicans say it’s necessary because the school districts have demonstrated they are unable to fix their problems.
https://apnews.com/4c01f450882540e4806fcb97ae85bdfe
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As Dan Together sang
Grab when you can
Close when you have to
Be who you must
That’s a part of the plan
Await your bonanza
Like chimp a banana
And one day we’ll own all of this land
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Self correct changed Fogelberg to Together
Makes perfect sense.
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I find comfort that I am not alone the victim of absurd transitions in the auto-correct mode of typing. Indeed as I typed this, my finger struck u instead of y because they live next door to each other. It almost changed the word “typing” to “Tupac”. Perhaps it was thinking of the rapper? The Peruvian revolutionary? It staggers the imagination.
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Koch’s ALEC legislators… oligarchs reign.
All rights are one draft law away from elimination.
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