Statement on
Gerrymandering of State Board of Education
February 14, 2022 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HONESTY FOR OHIO EDUCATION COALITION CONDEMNS ATTEMPT TO
GERRYMANDER NEW STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION DISTRICTS, CALLS FOR FAIR MAPS
COLUMBUS — Today, the Honesty for Ohio Education coalition released the following statement as the Ohio Redistricting Commission faces the Ohio Supreme Court’s February 17 deadline to draw new General Assembly districts. Honesty for Ohio Education is a statewide grassroots coalition that advocates for every child’s right to receive a high-quality public education grounded in honesty, facts, and diverse perspectives, regardless of their race, background, or zip code.
On February 1, Gov. Mike DeWine released his plan for new State Board of Education district boundaries. Those boundaries, based on state Senate districts since ruled unconstitutional, are undemocratic and reflect an ongoing attempt to suppress the voices of Ohioans who are working for a high-quality, honest, and complete education for every child in Ohio.
State law requires that the 11 state school board districts comprise three contiguous state Senate districts, be as compact as practicable, and consist of districts centered in urban areas and rural areas, where practicable.
Not only does Gov. DeWine’s plan violate these principles by fundamentally altering several districts; it also reflects the governor’s continued effort to rid the State Board of members who voted against repealing the July 2020 Resolution to Condemn Racism and Advance Equity, most recently pushing out the State Board president and another appointed member. His new plan targets four State Board members: Dr. Christina Collins (District 5), Meryl Johnson (District 11), Dr. Antoinette Miranda (District 6), and Michelle Newman (District 9).
Under his plan, their urban and suburban areas would lose representation.
Dr. Collins, elected to represent Medina, Wayne, and Richland counties, would be moved to a district covering different counties, excluding her home in Medina County. Neman, who currently represents a compact region in east central Ohio, would be shifted to a wishbone-shaped district that stretches from Licking County northeast to Youngstown and southwest through seven Ohio River counties.
Two other changes would significantly reduce the opportunity for the representation of Black Ohioans on the State Board. Voters elected Johnson to represent a district centered on Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, but DeWine’s plan would warp it to cover Medina, Wayne, and Richland counties. Dr. Miranda represents an urban-suburban district centered on Franklin and Delaware counties in Central Ohio that would twist south to include five largely rural counties.
These changes matter because elected members of the State Board are duty-bound to represent the Ohioans who elected them so they can shape the state’s public education system according to the needs of the children and families they serve. That’s democracy, and that’s why DeWine’s State Board proposal raises alarms -- the revised districts would put at risk the ability of our state to ensure public education serves every child, no matter where they live or what they look like. Different districts -- urban, suburban, rural -- have different needs.
Just as Ohioans expect policymakers to draw fair districts for the state legislature and the U.S. Congress, Ohioans expect and deserve fair State School Board districts. The governor’s intent is clear -- to add another layer of gerrymandered, unfair, and unrepresentative maps that allow the legislators to pick who can vote for them and their allies on the State Board of Education, rather than allowing Ohioans to choose who represents them.
Fortunately, Gov. DeWine will have another chance to create fair State Board districts when Ohio’s broader redistricting effort passes constitutional muster.
The focus for creating new State School Board districts should be to allow members to reflect Ohio’s diverse student populations and give fair representation to children and families across the state, whether they live in urban, suburban, or rural school districts.
HONESTY FOR OHIO EDUCATION COALITION PARTNERS:
Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro:
“The continuing attempts to gerrymander Ohio’s maps threaten to undermine the promise of a high-quality public education for all of Ohio’s children. We’ve seen how a national network of extremists has already attempted to use the State Board of Education to control a political narrative by distracting voters from the real issues facing our schools. Unfair state legislative district maps, which determine the State Board of Education lines, rob Ohio voters of their right to choose board members who represent their interests and who will stand up for what’s best for Ohio’s kids.”
Ohio Federation of Teachers President Mellisa Cropper:
“The effect of Governor DeWine’s delineation of Ohio’s State Board of Education districts will be to dilute the voting power of Black communities and other communities of color and to jeopardize the seats of the strongest advocates for the Board’s strategic plan for Ohio’s schools. The governor is undercutting the future of the strategic plan – a holistic vision for a whole child approach to education that was adopted with broad consensus support from stakeholders – with this gerrymandered redrawing of Board districts.”
Children’s Defense Fund Ohio Executive Director Tracy Najera:
“We are not showing care for democracy or our commitment to a thriving Ohio when we draw State Board of Education districts based on maps that have already been thrown out for partisan bias. All of us benefit from strong democratic processes and systems, especially our children. It is now time that our actions reflect these commitments to democracy because our children are counting on us as adults to make decisions on their behalf. We must do right by them, their futures, and what we value as for our communities. We cannot let them down by prioritizing politics over fairness.”
Ohio Council of Churches Public Policy Director, Rev. Dr. Amariah McIntosh:
“The Ohio Council of Churches supports fair representation for all Ohio voters. Doing anything less is not justice.”
On February 1, Gov. Mike DeWine released his plan for new State Board of Education district boundaries. Those boundaries, based on state Senate districts since ruled unconstitutional, are undemocratic and reflect an ongoing attempt to suppress the voices of Ohioans who are working for a high-quality, honest, and complete education for every child in Ohio.
State law requires that the 11 state school board districts comprise three contiguous state Senate districts, be as compact as practicable, and consist of districts centered in urban areas and rural areas, where practicable.
Not only does Gov. DeWine’s plan violate these principles by fundamentally altering several districts; it also reflects the governor’s continued effort to rid the State Board of members who voted against repealing the July 2020 Resolution to Condemn Racism and Advance Equity, most recently pushing out the State Board president and another appointed member. His new plan targets four State Board members: Dr. Christina Collins (District 5), Meryl Johnson (District 11), Dr. Antoinette Miranda (District 6), and Michelle Newman (District 9).
Under his plan, their urban and suburban areas would lose representation.
Dr. Collins, elected to represent Medina, Wayne, and Richland counties, would be moved to a district covering different counties, excluding her home in Medina County. Neman, who currently represents a compact region in east central Ohio, would be shifted to a wishbone-shaped district that stretches from Licking County northeast to Youngstown and southwest through seven Ohio River counties.
Two other changes would significantly reduce the opportunity for the representation of Black Ohioans on the State Board. Voters elected Johnson to represent a district centered on Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, but DeWine’s plan would warp it to cover Medina, Wayne, and Richland counties. Dr. Miranda represents an urban-suburban district centered on Franklin and Delaware counties in Central Ohio that would twist south to include five largely rural counties.
These changes matter because elected members of the State Board are duty-bound to represent the Ohioans who elected them so they can shape the state’s public education system according to the needs of the children and families they serve. That’s democracy, and that’s why DeWine’s State Board proposal raises alarms -- the revised districts would put at risk the ability of our state to ensure public education serves every child, no matter where they live or what they look like. Different districts -- urban, suburban, rural -- have different needs.
Just as Ohioans expect policymakers to draw fair districts for the state legislature and the U.S. Congress, Ohioans expect and deserve fair State School Board districts. The governor’s intent is clear -- to add another layer of gerrymandered, unfair, and unrepresentative maps that allow the legislators to pick who can vote for them and their allies on the State Board of Education, rather than allowing Ohioans to choose who represents them.
Fortunately, Gov. DeWine will have another chance to create fair State Board districts when Ohio’s broader redistricting effort passes constitutional muster.
The focus for creating new State School Board districts should be to allow members to reflect Ohio’s diverse student populations and give fair representation to children and families across the state, whether they live in urban, suburban, or rural school districts.
HONESTY FOR OHIO EDUCATION COALITION PARTNERS:
Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro:
“The continuing attempts to gerrymander Ohio’s maps threaten to undermine the promise of a high-quality public education for all of Ohio’s children. We’ve seen how a national network of extremists has already attempted to use the State Board of Education to control a political narrative by distracting voters from the real issues facing our schools. Unfair state legislative district maps, which determine the State Board of Education lines, rob Ohio voters of their right to choose board members who represent their interests and who will stand up for what’s best for Ohio’s kids.”
Ohio Federation of Teachers President Mellisa Cropper:
“The effect of Governor DeWine’s delineation of Ohio’s State Board of Education districts will be to dilute the voting power of Black communities and other communities of color and to jeopardize the seats of the strongest advocates for the Board’s strategic plan for Ohio’s schools. The governor is undercutting the future of the strategic plan – a holistic vision for a whole child approach to education that was adopted with broad consensus support from stakeholders – with this gerrymandered redrawing of Board districts.”
Children’s Defense Fund Ohio Executive Director Tracy Najera:
“We are not showing care for democracy or our commitment to a thriving Ohio when we draw State Board of Education districts based on maps that have already been thrown out for partisan bias. All of us benefit from strong democratic processes and systems, especially our children. It is now time that our actions reflect these commitments to democracy because our children are counting on us as adults to make decisions on their behalf. We must do right by them, their futures, and what we value as for our communities. We cannot let them down by prioritizing politics over fairness.”
Ohio Council of Churches Public Policy Director, Rev. Dr. Amariah McIntosh:
“The Ohio Council of Churches supports fair representation for all Ohio voters. Doing anything less is not justice.”
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Honesty for Ohio Education is a nonpartisan statewide coalition that champions honest education, affirmation of identities and cultures, and local control in education. The coalition serves as a centralized source for the education, advocacy, resources, and partnerships necessary to protect honesty in education across Ohio. Born from a grassroots effort of committed Ohioans, Honesty for Ohio Education proudly represents students, families, educators, advocacy organizations, legal professionals, researchers, policy experts, and faith groups.