In an open letter to their state legislators and Ohio Department of Education officials, the 16 public school superintendents in Lorain County have requested that Ohio not enact any legislation or regulations in addition to the federal minimum requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act. The superintendents’ letter reads as follows:

To:  Rep. Nathan Manning, Rep. Dan Ramos, Sen. Gayle Manning, Supt. Paolo DeMaria and State BOE President Tom Gunlock

As Superintendents of the fourteen K-12 school districts, JVS, and ESC in Lorain County, we are writing to express our recommendations regarding Ohio’s plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  Along with hundreds of other public school superintendents around the state, we are committed to the following beliefs:

• Public education is a critical component of an informed democracy.
• Public education serves each and every one of our students who represent the diversity of our communities.
• Locally controlled public education with governmental support is valued over public education dominated by government regulations.
• The principal architects of the locally controlled education system in Ohio should be community members – including parents, principals, teachers, students, school board members and superintendents.

As such, we are representing the voice of our communities, parents and teachers by recommending that Ohio should not enact any legislation or regulations in addition to the federal minimum requirements of ESSA.  We must use this opportunity presented by the change in federal legislation to restore local control to our schools and communities.  We will be advocating and working diligently to help the citizens of our communities make their voices heard on this important issue.

Thank you for your consideration on this important matter and for all you do for Ohio’s students.

Sincerely,

The Lorain County School Superintendents