Where is state support now?

Editor’s note: Another Viewpoint is a column the Morning Journal makes available so all sides of an issue may be aired. Chase Ritenauer is mayor of Lorain.

It was unnecessary and is a flaw in the design of HB 70 that helped lead to a deeply tainted, questioned process of selected a CEO for Lorain Schools.

Rather than attempt to expedite the process or seek an administrative or legislative remedy, the governor’s office that promised its support sat on its hands. Worse yet, during the week — yes ONE week — between the announcement of five finalists and the selection of the CEO, Academic Distress Commission members were told that they must appoint prior to the 60-day deadline despite the fact that the law has no recourse for a delay in appointment or a new search.

What could the state do? Penalize its own commission? Fire volunteers from the commission? Furthermore, at least one commission member was told that not making an appointment would lead to the state naming a CEO, which to my understanding is stated nowhere in HB 70.

All while this was occurring, the same governor whose HB 70 passed in the dark of the night by the narrowest of margins and the same governor who promised his support disappeared faster than a campaign plane to New Hampshire. His Ohio Department of Education imposed its will on at least some members of the commission, and the work that had occurred more than six months prior to the CEO appointment meant nothing.

The people serving on the Lorain Academic Distress Commission are good people.

Newly appointed CEO David Hardy comes to Lorain with the right intentions, and for the sake of our children, I hope that he is successful.

I do, however, take exception to some of the comments about Jeff Graham. Short of divine intervention, no one appointed two short years ago on the exact day HB 70 was passed into law was going to meet the new state standards in such a short amount of time. The state standards, mind you, changed during the tenure of an interim State Superintendent who was put in place when controversy pushed former State Superintendent Dick Ross out the door. Jeff never had a chance, and the irony of the situation is nothing short of brutal.

But the issue here is not relative to individual candidates for CEO; the issue is process and the disappearing act of the state government, which promised its support.

I suppose I should have known better.

We have seen the little regard this governor has for working people, cities, school districts, home rule, and local control. The city and schools could have fought the state at the end of 2016.

Looking back, maybe I should have supported a more combative strategy that was advocated by some in the community. But that is not my natural inclination.

Ultimately, what would that have accomplished?

For some reason, I thought the issue of education would be different than local government funding, home rule or centralized municipal income tax collection. I was wrong.

The abandonment of the governor’s office is nothing new, but it is particularly painful on this issue because it did not have to go this way.

We had the opportunity to partner with the state in an attempt to make the best of a flawed bill.

Instead, Lorain saw more of the same from the governor.

The controversial process did not need to happen. The disdain for members of the Academic Distress Commission did not need to happen. The damage of the process and in turn, disadvantage the new CEO faces did not need to happen.

When you decide to ignore what is happening in local communities—a cornerstone of the Kasich Administration—the fallout is of no concern. A book tour and preparing for a presidential run in 2020 are clearly what matters.

Mr. Governor, what will impact your legacy whether you like or not is the quality of education students in Youngstown and Lorain receive.

You wanted state control, and now you have it.

As HB 70 states, the clock is ticking.