For the third year in a row, the Ohio General Assembly has debated creating a special education scholarship for students with special learning needs. The scholarship, modeled after Ohio’s popular Autism Scholarship, would give parents the ability to seek the best public or private educational environment for their child’s educational needs.

Last year, a similar scholarship passed through the legislature as part of the budget bill, but was vetoed by Governor Strickland. This year, the proposed scholarship has moved through the process as a stand-alone bill (SB 57) focusing the debate on the need for students with special needs to have quality educational options.

School Choice Ohio has been active in educating legislators on how the scholarship would help students with special needs and in countering misinformation suggesting that the scholarship would harm public schools.

More than 20 parents, students, and community advocates from across Ohio gave heartfelt testimonies supporting SB 57 at legislative hearings. Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Joy Padgett said these families’ stories convinced her of the necessity of the special education scholarship.

SB 57 has garnered the support of the full Senate and has been recommended for approval by the House Education Committee. It is hoped the full House will vote on the bill in the fall.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has made it clear that education will be one of his priorities in office.

His recent initiatives have included proposing the post of Director of Education, which would report directly to him, and beginning work on an education reform plan due to be presented in 2009. Conspicuously absent from his plans are meaningful measures related to school choice.

In regard to the proposed Special Needs Scholarship, Governor Strickland has stated, “If this bill comes across my desk in its current form, then I will veto it,” demonstrating what is still at stake in Ohio.

Given the political environment, School Choice Ohio is more committed than ever to ensuring that all Ohio students have access to a high-quality education.

Ohio’s families are fortunate to have several well-established school choice organizations gathering and disseminating information across the state.

The EdChoice Scholarship has been an important focal point around which these groups have been able to come together to collaborate.

On May 22, 2008, School Choice Ohio hosted a meeting of the minds with the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Greater Cincinnati, the Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund, and Parents Advancing Choice in Education (PACE). Directors and staff from the organizations gathered to share experiences and best practices from their 2007-2008 EdChoice outreach efforts.

While more families applied for EdChoice this year than ever before, the group discussed ways in which it could increase both the quality and reach of its collective efforts in the coming year.

All the groups are finding that the years of building relationships with schools and community leaders are paying off. Building credibility with a range of state and community stakeholders continues to be a priority, along with as much direct contact with eligible parents as possible.