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Ohio Educators, Officials React to ‘Externship’ Proposal

Photo by Dylan McKenzie Martins Ferry Middle School teacher Debbie Lucas teaches her language arts class on Friday afternoon.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2018-19 includes a controversial provision that would require teachers to complete “externships” with a local business in order to have their licenses renewed.

Kasich said the externships would help involve businesses more in education. He said too many high school graduates are pursuing expensive college degrees that don’t prepare them for realistic jobs. He said that teachers gaining “on-site work experience” with businesses or local chambers of commerce would help better serve students for more 21-st century careers.

The renewal process generally occurs every five years.

“Educators have concerns about how this proposal would bring value to the classroom, students and teaching. Teachers are always eager to grow professionally and we agree it is important to find ways to incorporate job skills and information about careers in the classroom. However, working in an outside business is unnecessary and we oppose this as a condition of being licensed to teach,” said Ohio Education Association president Becky Higgins.

Vice President of the Ohio State Board of Education and District 8 Representative Nancy P. Hollister said she is not concerned about the proposed externship requirement, but is more concerned with Kasich’s proposal to require that all 600 school districts appoint three members of the business community to each school board.

Hollister disagrees with that proposal because “99.9 percent of school districts already have people on their boards that are part of the business community.”

“There are a lot of ideas swirling around. Each governor since the beginning of time submits his ideas, but that doesn’t mean they will end up in the budget, which won’t be completed until June,” Hollister said. “This is (Kasich’s) last budget, and it is no surprise that he has put many of his personal ideas in it. His intention is to bring business and schools closer together.”

Hollister, who was appointed by Kasich to the State Board of Education in 2016, has served as mayor of Marietta, head of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia and as an Ohio State Representative for District 93.

“These issues are not the most important thing for Appalachian Counties. We are unique. The school funding formula is bad, and needs to be changed,” Hollister said. “We are looking at how we are going to fare because this budget is really tight. Transportation is being cut, and that is going to hurt our area.”

Leah Hulsey teaches history and government at River High School, and also serves as the president of the Switzerland of Ohio Education Association. She said she believes if the goal of the externships are to help students learn about new job possibilities, it would be more beneficial for the students to have access to the externships or to job shadow where they can experience the jobs themselves.

“The requirements of an externship is not practical for all teachers,” Hulsey said. “An externship at a local business for a kindergarten teacher would not be very applicable to her classroom. Teachers need to be able to choose continuing education that will benefit their classroom whether it would apply to their grade level, subject area or to specific student needs.”

Hulsey noted teachers’ license renewals require educators to fulfill several requirements such as continuing education hours that are all at the teachers’ own expense.

“The externships are another hoop to jump through to renewing your license which could discourage potential teachers. Education has already seen a decline in those entering the profession,” Hulsey said.

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