Senate Bill 1

SPONSOR
Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin, Dist 26)
​
​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 shift 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
Senate Education Committee
​
INTRODUCED 
January 11, 2023

WATCH HEARINGS
Sponsor - Jan 17, 2023

BILL 
General Info
Bill As Written
Analysis of Bill

Details of SB 1

SB 1 is the updated version of the failed  SB178 from the 134th General Assembly, which failed in the final hours of lame duck. Both bills are sponsored by Senator Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin).

Summary

• Renames the Department of Education as the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW).
• Creates the director of education and workforce, who is appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
• Establishes the Division of Primary and Secondary Education and the Division of Career-Technical Education, each headed by a deputy director.
• Transfers most of the powers and duties of the State Board of Education and the state superintendent to DEW.
• State Board retains powers and duties regarding appointment of state superintendent, licensure, disciplinary actions, and  school district territory transfers.

State Board of Education
Duties and powers

• Oversight over the teacher and school counselor evaluation systems, the annual teacher recognition program, and the Educator Standards Board 
• Adoption of requirements for educator licensure and licensee disciplinary actions 
• Make recommendations to the Director regarding priorities for primary and secondary education.

• Appoint the state superintendent
• State superintendent exercises general supervision of employees and may appoint, fix their salary, and terminate their employment

​Reactions to 2022's version of this bill

​News Coverage

• Cleveland.com: Republican state senators seek to gut state school board's responsibilities in revamp of Ohio Department of Education
• Columbus Dispatch: Lawmakers move to weaken Ohio Board of Education, give power to governor
• Ideastream: Lawmakers consider big changes for Ohio State Board of Education
• Youngstown Vindicator: Proposed education bill could be bad for Ohio students
• WXVU Cincinnati: Ohio GOP launches a power grab over public education. They're likely to succeed

Education leaders weighed in

"It doesn't address the needs of the students today, but it is in lockstep with not only the state legislature, but the state's attorney general's office.”
​Tom Jackson

“I am deeply concerned about the implications that overhauling the responsibilities of the department of education and state board of education would have, especially without an extensive review process.”
State Senator Hearcel Craig

“The government wants to control the educational agenda because state funding is a big part of a state budget and they don't want to compete with a state board or a superintendent who reports back to that board. They have their own educational agenda.”
​Susan Tave Zelman

“It does seem to be a power grab, you know, and it is disappointing... especially as you have more people elected to the board who have really strong education backgrounds.”
​Scott DiMauro