Send one email?

Yesterday I posted the lists of the legislators, their votes on HB70 (Youngstown), and contact info as put together by my wife. I suggested we contact them. You don't have to hassle them all. We're busy people. It's unhealthy to spend the whole day in a state of rage. So, can you write one of them? That's it, just one. I'll be honest, I've only contacted four so far. I got ahold of my Senator and Rep, the Manning's, to thank them for voting against it. I contacted Rep Brenner yesterday, as I said I would. And this morning I wrote Senator Peggy Lehner, head of the Senate Education Committee, vocal champion, and carrier of this piece of legislation. I hoped to point out what I saw as some inconsistency in her legislative process with regard to education (see below).

So, what do you think? One email? Let me know.

Here's Peggy...

Here's my email to Peggy...

Senator Lehner, 

I am a 16th year History Teacher at Elyria High School. I was hoping, as the head of the Senate Education Committee, you could clarify something for me. Upon being presented with a multitude of concerns regarding state assessments from hundreds, if not thousands, of parents, teachers, students, and other experts in the field, your response was to establish a commission to study the issue. In the meantime, Ohio's students were expected to grind through a season of unfair, wholly intrusive, damaging, and unnecessary assessments. As it stands, it remains unclear what the assessments will look like next year, despite the fact that teachers like myself are well into planning and strategizing the shape of our courses. 

However, when presented with the Youngstown Amendment, you opted for a rule of order that eliminated due process by not allowing opposition, or public input, thus making a mockery of our democratic process, not to mention your own prior record of "investigation" in the interest of proper decision making with regard to educational policy decisions. Then you had the audacity, in all of your moon-faced sincerity, to tell the public that this act was in the best interest of the children of Youngstown because something had to be done. 

How about, something has to be done about assessments, something has to be done about the albatross of an evaluation system, something has to be done about the mismanagement of funds in charter schools, or the fact that they are academic failures, or that Ohio is a national laughingstock because of our charter school policy. Senator, with all due respect, I do not expect that you will be able to satisfactorily justify your hypocrisy in this situation. I do, however, expect you to do something to actually benefit your youngest constituents, Ohio's schoolchildren, and to show some respect for the democratic process. 

Yours in education. 
Matthew Jablonski