Dear Hawken Community – We URGENTLY need your help. I write to you today to ask for your help in supporting important language in a critical piece of legislation being considered by the Ohio State Senate Education Committee tomorrow and Wednesday. The Issue: The proposed Senate bill requires ALL high school students in Ohio to submit to end-of-course testing in 8 to 10 core disciplines. We firmly believe the imposition of this end-of-course testing requirement substantially weakens our freedom to teach in the ways that truly distinguish independent schools: a curriculum devoted to more rigorous analysis and problem-solving. Courses such as our terrific interdisciplinary course in Entrepreneurship would be threatened. Under current law (HB 59), the independent schools accredited by ISACS (Independent Schools of the Central States) are exempted from end-of-course testing. There is language in the new Senate version that takes out that exception. Therefore, we are proposing that language from a current law, House Bill 59, be retained in the proposed Senate bill called House Bill 487. In order to guarantee more certainty and independence for our school, we support the proposed language in HB 487, already passed by the House and pending in the Senate Education Committee, which enables private schools in the state to opt out of end-of-course testing if it can demonstrate that its graduates are “college or career ready” by publishing, each year, its average ACT or SAT scores. What YOU can do: Use the following link, ohiosenate.gov/senate/index, to find the contact information for your state senator. Then, today or tomorrow, or by May 17 at the latest, paste the suggested language at this link or below into an email to urge their support in passage of HB 487 retaining the House-approved testing language for nonpublic schools. Here are more reasons to support HB 487 retaining HB 59 provisions for nonpublic schools: Parents, teachers and administrators are in the best position to determine a student’s success at an independent school, not government. The testing requirements of HB 487 will still mean that Ohio requires more testing of independent school students than the vast majority of states. HB 487 balances the desire for accountability for the performance of high school students with the academic and curricular freedom that independent schools should have. The end-of-course exams planned for Ohio’s nonpublic school students will destroy the freedom to innovate that makes our school successful. Should HB 487 not contain the proposed language for testing, we believe the current law (HB 59) should be retained and urge the Senate to prevent the State Board from passing additional mandates not authorized by law. I am extremely grateful for any support our Hawken Community is able to lend – this is a critical vote needed to help maintain the excellence of our School. Sincerely, D. Scott Looney Head of School Sample Email to Send to your Senator Dear Senator (last name), As the parent of an independent school student, I am proud of the decision I made to send my child to Hawken School. I believe the administration and staff are fully capable and qualified to determine my child’s educational growth. I also believe that if I fundamentally disagree with Hawken’s educational philosophy or decisions, I am able to send my child to another school that aligns with my beliefs. House Bill 487 contains language regarding the testing of students in nonpublic schools. This legislative language, agreed upon by several nonpublic school associations, reflects what I value about independent education. HB 487 requires the public disclosure of the average ACT or SAT results by each school’s graduating class. This solution strikes a balance between accountability and the autonomy of nonpublic schools. The testing requirement in HB 487 is still more than what most states require of their independent school students. HB 487 also prevents the State Board of Education from exceeding the statutory given to them by the General Assembly to set testing requirements. The educational philosophy of independent education is the exact opposite of a one- size-fits-all approach. I send my child to an independent school because it is unique, not because it does things the same way a traditional school does. Please do not make my child’s school compromise its mission and curriculum by requiring standardized tests that parents and colleges aren’t asking our students to complete. Please allow my child’s independent school to be truly independent. Thank you for your time and your service to our state. Sincerely,
Posted on: Wed, 14 May 2014 11:00:31 +0000
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