Earlier this week, Chiefs for Change (CFC) announced that Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Paolo DeMaria, joined their network. CFC is a nonprofit, bipartisan network comprising state and district education chiefs who advocate for innovative education policies and practices, support each other through a community of practice, and nurture the next generation of leaders. The network is made up of members who lead education systems serving 7.2 million students, 435,000 teachers, and 14,000 schools.
According to the CFC website, members of the network “share a vision that all American children can lead fulfilling, self-determined lives as adults.” Though it is made up of diverse members with various viewpoints, the chiefs find common ground in five key areas: 1) access to excellent schools, 2) quality curriculum, 3) fully prepared and supported educators, 4) accountability, and 5) safe and welcoming schools.
Here’s a look at a few specific policies supported by CFC and what they look like in Ohio:
School choice
In a statement on school choice released last year, CFC members asserted that “school choice initiatives have the potential to dramatically expand opportunity for disadvantaged American children and their families.” We’ve seen this firsthand in Ohio, where school choice options like high-performing charter schools and open enrollment policies have led to improved student outcomes and a broader range of opportunities. To be sure, Ohio’s record isn’t spotless. There’s still plenty of work to be done. But the Buckeye State is on the right track, and we’re confident that Superintendent DeMaria will continue to focus on quality choices for all families in Ohio.
School funding
School funding has long been a hot topic in Ohio. As part of their support for quality educational opportunities for all students, CFC advocates for “fair funding for schools proportionate to the learning needs of students.” In layman’s terms, this means that taxpayer funding should go to the students who need it most. As former state budget director and associate superintendent of ODE’s school finance office, few in Ohio have a deeper knowledge of the state’s funding system than Superintendent DeMaria. Lending his voice to ensure that all students, no matter their choice of schools, have the resources necessary to succeed would be powerful as legislators wrestle with funding policies.
Teacher policy
CFC believes that teachers should be well-prepared, rewarded for their skills and impact on student learning, provided with opportunities to expand their leadership, and supported with timely and meaningful evaluation and feedback. To his credit, Superintendent DeMaria has already been active in this area: In the fall of 2016, he asked the Educator Standards Board to review the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System. This resulted in recommendations that have now been incorporated into Senate Bill 240, legislation introduced last December that could improve the evaluation system. DeMaria was also vocal about refining the Resident Educator Summative Assessment for educators new to the profession; that initiative yielded significant revisions.
Accountability
Last year, Ohio lawmakers began mulling possible changes to the state’s school report cards. Fordham offered a few recommendations to consider, including simplifying the report card and creating a better balance between achievement and growth metrics. At CFC, members have voiced their support for holding schools accountable for student learning according to “standards benchmarked against those of high-performing states and countries.” Their stance has also included support for “radical change” in struggling schools, which they argue is not only possible but reliably doable. Ohio has an accountability system that, though it could use some simplification and tweaks, is strong compared to other states. Our ESSA plan—recently approved by Secretary DeVos—already contains many of the policies and practices that CFC advocates for. As the debate continues over how to improve Ohio’s school report cards, having a state chief willing to maintain high academic expectations will be essential.
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Of course, DeMaria doesn’t have to heed any of CFC’s recommended policies and practices. But by joining CFC, he has made clear his commitment to opening quality educational opportunities to all and finding ways to lift student outcomes. We commend him for taking this bold step forward.
