What the H Ohio?

Todd S. Hawley - November 12, 2024

Good people, hello and welcome to my blog where I will focus on several topics related to teaching, educational policy and occasionally music and comedy. This particular post focuses on a topic I am calling, What the H Ohio? This topic will focus on education policy, legislation and decision-making impacting public Schools, teachers and students in Ohio. Other aspects of this blog will focus on the amazing work of professional public school teachers in Ohio. As the name suggests, the majority of the decisions made regarding education immediately cause me to ask - well let's be honest, they usually cause me to ask in frustration - What the H Ohio? This isn't a good thing for anyone, but it's especially bad for students and teachers in Ohio. And while it is true that gerrymandering in Ohio, and the resulting Republican supermajority is often the focus of my frustration and disappointment, legislators holding all sorts of political views have talked openly about "failing schools" and haven't done very much of anything to empower teachers as professionals.

My constant disappointment is a result of several the policies enacted to destroy public education in Ohio. These include policies that siphon funding - yes, your tax dollars - away from public schools and into religious and private schools in the form of vouchers (to the tune of almost a billion dollars in 2024), policies that intentionally erase students who identify as trans from all spaces in public schools and finally, policies policies that increase oversight of teachers by denying their professionalism in their classrooms by labeling certain content as "divisive concepts."

I believe it is all intentional and represents the enactment of a coordinated effort to privatize public education in Ohio. This isn't new, but it is sad on many levels. Mainly because it will result in teachers leaving the profession, a limited curriculum available to teachers and students and a narrowing of conceptions of active, participatory citizenship and the stifling of student's ability to develop their voices as citizens.

Despite all of this, I remain an optimist. I do believe that teachers are holding this country together and that one day teachers will be seen and respected as professionals who can shape policy to improve public education in Ohio. Until then, I will provide lots of information to explain why I am asking, What the H Ohio? and what I think we, as good people, can do to improve the common good for everyone in Ohio. Stick around and join the conversation. You don't have to agree with me to leave a comment. The goal is to provide information, to promote thinking and to engage with issues with the intent of improving public education in Ohio. Let's see what we can accomplish.

Thanks y'all. Todd.