​HOUSE BILL 12
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Summary of House Bill 12
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SPONSOR(S)
Rep. Don Jones (District 95)
Rep. Dave Dobos (District 10)

​TARGETS
​State Board of Education
Department of Education
Governor's Cabinet

​​​DESCRIPTION​
Restructures and renames the Ohio Department of Education to "Department of Education and Workforce" and shifts ODE into a cabinet-level agency managed by an appointment from the governor's office; reduces duties of State Board of Education to appointments, licensure, employee conduct, and territory transfers
COMMITTEE
House Primary and Secondary Education Committee

INTRODUCED 
February 15, 2023

BILL
General Info | As-Written | Analysis


What does House Bill 12 do?
​

House Bill 12 is the counterpart of Senate Bill 1, making similar sweeping changes to the Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and how education is administered in Ohio. It also prohibits the adoption of any additional rules regarding homeschooling and its oversight. 

Transfer of State K-12 Governance
  • Renames the Department of Education as the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW).
  • Creates the position of the Director of Education and Workforce, who is appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and is the head of DEW.
  • Establishes within DEW the Division of Primary and Secondary Education and the Division of Career-Technical Education, each of which is headed by a Deputy Director appointed by the Director with the advice and consent of the Senate.
  • Transfers most of the powers and duties of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to DEW.
  • Retains the State Board’s and state Superintendent’s powers and duties regarding educator licensure, licensee disciplinary actions, and school district territory transfers.

Workforce Development
  • Requires DEW to develop informational materials for seventh and eighth graders about available career opportunities.
  • Requires DEW to participate in the process to identify in-demand jobs.
  • Requires the Governor to appoint the Deputy Directors to the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board.

Nonchartered nonpublic schools
  • Codifies an administrative rule that sets minimum requirements for nonchartered nonpublic schools, including hours of instruction, educational requirements for teachers and administrators, curriculum, promotion, and safety requirements.
  • Prohibits the Director of Education and Workforce from adopting any additional rules for nonchartered nonpublic schools.

Home education and school attendance
  • Excuses a child from attending school if the child is receiving home education in core subject areas supervised and directed by the child’s parent, instead of if the child is receiving education from a “qualified” person.
  • In the event of cessation of proper home instruction, removes the district superintendent’s explicit power to recall previously excused absences and pursue truancy charges.
  • Prohibits the Director of Education and Workforce from adopting any additional rules regarding home education.


What is our position on House Bill 12?

OPPOSE

HB 12 is Business-Focused, Not Student-Centered
  • Ohio education needs real solutions, not business deals. By prioritizing a long wishlist of the business community and politicians over the needs of students and educators, this massive overhaul does nothing to solve the REAL ISSUES facing public education. The plan does not address the root causes of Ohio's academic distress, including: decades of unconstitutional school funding, crisis-level teacher shortage, poor working and learning conditions, lack of wraparound services for students, literacy issues rooted in poor legislative policies, and disparate student outcomes.
  • Any overhaul of public education should prioritize the healthy development and educational needs of the student and begin with collaboration amongst students, families, educators, administrators, education organizations, Ohio Department of Education, policy-makers and community partners. HB 12 centers workforce development and represented the interests of  select policy makers, select organizations, and business leaders.

SB 12 is Bad Governance
  • The bill is a blatant partisan power grab that shifts oversight of public education from ODE to the governor. The move allows Ohio's supermajority Statehouse and governor to tightly control public education policy, budget, funding, and  priorities with little oversight or accountability.
  • HB 12 injects partisanship and politics into Ohio's nonpartisan public education system. Currently, elected leaders in Ohio's public education system are nonpartisan officers. The bill will allow the the governor's cabinet to prioritize a politically-fueled and party-driven agenda.
  • The legislative overhaul is a partisan response to voters overwhelmingly rejecting extremist values when they elected three pro-equity, student-centered State Board members in November 2022. Last year's failed version of HB 12 (SB 178) was a sleeper bill from May 2021 through November 2022, until the Senate fast-tracked the bill during lame duck immediately following the results of the mid-term elections.​

HB 12 is Anti-Democratic ​
  • By eliminating key educational roles and duties from our democratically-elected State Board members, HB 12 removes our ability to have a voice at the state level, silencing the voices of families, voters, and taxpayers. It is appalling that elected state leaders are advocating to legislate democracy out of public education.
  • Ohioans need a State Board of Education that is deeply connected to the families and diverse communities it serves. By law, Ohio has 11 elected State Board of Education members, each representing one of 11 districts across the state. Each member is charged with addressing the unique needs and priorities of their district, communities, and families. HB 12 strips local representation away from families and reduces decision-making capacity to a single centralized body that does not have a pulse on the sprawling districts across Ohio.
  • HB 12 is in a long line of Ohio anti-democratic bills that subvert democracy, voting rights, voting access, and accountability of state leaders and systems. 

HB 12 is Scapegoating the State Board of Education
  • While proponents center the so-called "dysfunction" and "bureaucracy" of the State Board and ODE as reasons to shift control of public education away from ODE, there are practical ways to address the concerns raised that do not require an overhaul of the entire system. ODE can implement a stronger onboarding process for new State Board members, update and train members on the State Board Policy and Procedures Manual, provide ongoing professional development, evaluate and upgrade ODE process and procedures, etc.​
  • The State Board has proposed several measures that improve student outcomes and well-being, and address critical disparities around absenteeism, discipline, and literacy. While these measures were supported by the State Board, the legislature failed to advance the legislation. Conversely, several of the extremist culture war legislation peddled by Statehouse leaders was pipelined into the State Board, causing months of distraction away from critical education issues.

HB 12 is Loosening Oversight Where it Should Tighten
  • HB 12 freezes oversight, rules, and regulations around loosely-regulated non-chartered, nonpublic schools and  the homeschooling system. This lack of regulation has had detrimental impact on Ohio, public education, students, and families. Leaders need to examine how to tighten oversight and regulations over systems that are easily manipulated, divest state fund away from public education, endanger students, and threaten public safety.
  • Leaders must eliminate any opportunity for dangerous extremists to use Ohio's homeschooling network to proliferate hate, discrimination, violence, and genocidal values. Further, the current lack of oversight and rules around homeschooling make the system a convenient vehicle to exploit and endanger children with no accountability.

TAKE ACTION
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Prepare Opposition Testimony Now
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HOW TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY
**DO NOT SEND TESTIMONY UNTIL THE APPROPRIATE HEARING IS ANNOUNCED**

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STEP 1:
PREPARE YOUR TESTIMONY
Read tips for preparing and submitting testimony HERE


STEP 2:
AFTER HEARING IS ANNOUNCED,
EMAIL TESTIMONY DOCUMENTS TO COMMITTEE 
Email a PDF of your testimony & this completed Witness Slip to
Rep63@ohiohouse.gov

​ **IMPORTANT**
Do NOT send your testimony until the appropriate hearing is announced.
You must submit your testimony 24 hours ahead of the scheduled hearing.
Indicate in your email that you are submitting opposition testimony for HB 12 and ask for a confirmation of receipt.
All testimony will be uploaded HERE


STEP 3:
ARRIVE EARLY FOR IN-PERSON TESTIMONY
Arrive at least 1 hour prior to the scheduled hearing 
There is convenient parking in the Statehouse Parking Garage
Sign in on the witness roster in the hearing room