Manning’s bill deserves chance

State legislators really should consider passing a bill introduced by state Sen. Nathan Manning, a North Ridgeville Republican, to create a path to remove Lorain City Schools from the consequences of House Bill 70.

Manning’s bill, which he unveiled April 16 in Columbus, would remove some of the restrictions in the controversial HB 70 and rightfully restore local control and authority to the Lorain City Schools Board of Education.

House Bill 70 is the flawed legislation that enabled state takeovers of struggling districts with appointed Academic Distress Commissions guiding improvement plans.

Currently, Lorain Schools along with school districts in East Cleveland and Youngstown are under state takeover due to the academic distress rating.

Manning believes restoring local control is imperative for the future success of Lorain’s students, teachers and the school district.

He is looking forward to working with his colleagues to create a path forward for a district that has struggled to cope with the unnecessary restrictions imposed by the Academic Distress Commission.

Manning’s legislation, known as Senate Bill 165, would not immediately dissolve the Academic Distress Commission overseeing Lorain Schools.

It would, however, mandate a performance audit for schools in the state’s academic distress rank.

And, that’s fair.

The Academic Distress Commission and CEO would consult appropriate stakeholders to craft an educational improvement plan for review and approval by the state superintendent and school board.

The three-year plan, running mid-2022 to mid-2025, would have benchmarks to measure annual and overall improvements.

The locally elected school board would regain its legal authority to oversee the district, with help from the CEO and Academic Distress Commission to implement the plan.

After three years, if the district did not meet its benchmarks, it could apply for two, one-year extensions to make more gains.

If the district cannot show improvement after five school years, a CEO would resume oversight.

Lorain Schools CEO/Superintendent Jeff Graham, school board members and Lorain Academic Distress Commission members traveled to Columbus to hear Manning’s introduction.

Graham spoke about the world of education, and that educators know that students are most successful when they take a personalized approach to meet their individual needs.

He also applauded the Lorain Schools Board of Education for their tireless efforts to educate others on that reality.

Graham acknowledged the Lorain Academic Distress Commission for its leadership, collaboration and support, and his staff for all they’ve endured while never losing focus on the needs of the students, and most importantly, the families for trusting the district with the growth and development of their children.

He cited the work of Nathan Manning; state Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, a retired teacher who serves as chairwoman for the Ohio House of Representatives’ Primary and Secondary Education Committee; and Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, who also was a teacher and is a member of the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee.

Miller, who is familiar with the problems of HB 70, introduced a bill in March 2019 that would have dissolved Academic Distress Commissions, restored local control over public schools and move toward a building-based, bottom-up reform model.

But, that bill stalled. Others, including Manning, introduced legislation in the last two years to eliminate HB 70, and they also went nowhere.

But, hopefully, this latest Manning bill has a chance because of the benchmarks to measure, monitor and scrutinize the academics.

Graham also pointed out that on countless occasions, he has witnessed each one of the legislators fighting for the people of Lorain in public as well as behind closed doors.

And as a result of their collective efforts, he said a bill now exists that provides a pathway that will allow Lorain Schools to function in a manner that is consistent with how healthy organizations operate.

Lorain Schools Board President Mark Ballard added the district has a strong team and they are optimistic about this bill’s ability to support a path forward.

Ballard said the district’s strategic plan has the endorsement of the staff, the families and the Lorain Academic Distress Commission.

Even more importantly, he said Manning’s proposed legislation demonstrates the trust and confidence to continue to roll up their sleeves, link arms and work together to support students along their paths as they follow their dreams.

But, the bottom line, and really the only line, is that whatever bill is governing academically troubled school districts, the students must come first. No compromise on that. Let’s point out that since HB 70 became law in 2015, no district has emerged from academic distress.

Manning’s bill could be the legislation to correct that.