Urgent School Choice Alert: E-mail State Bd of Educ president Rob Hovis today---BEFORE Tues 2/15/11
Ohio Home Educators,
Three years ago, a local home school support group had interviewed Angela Thi Bennett for her campaign for State Board of Education. She is a conservative and supports home education. Angela lost to Mary Rose Oakar.
Three weeks ago, the new governor, John Kasich found that paperwork for confirmation of an at-large State Board of Education member was not submitted to the Ohio Senate for legal processing. Therefore, the governor sought to replace that board member.
Just last week, the new governor reviewed information submitted by the local home school group to appoint Angela Bennett to the disputed open seat. Last Thursday, Governor Kasich replaced Martha Harris with Angela Thi Bennett.
Last month, the SBE voted internally for a new president and vice-president. Rob Hovis, not an advocate of school choice, was elected president of the board by one vote. Debe Terhar, a recently elected board member supported by Ohioans for Educational F reedom and elected by home schoolers in the Cincinnati area, lost to Rob by that one vote.
The board reconvenes today and tomorrow. As of today, Mr. Hovis is refusing to seat Angela because it may mean a re-vote on board president and he does not want that. This is a conflict of interest and Mr. Hovis should step aside and allow a free vote within the board.
Urgent - Action Needed on Mon Feb 14:
E-mail State Board of Education President Robin Hovis ASAP (before Tues 2/15/11) at: robhovis@embarqmail.com
Message: Ask Mr. Hovis to seat Gov Kasich's new appointee (Angela Thi Bennett) & allow a legal re-vote for President of the Board. Include your address so he knows you are a citizen of Ohio.
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Background: Robin Hovis was recently voted in as President of the State Board of Education. Mr. Hovis is a Republican supported by the education unions. Hovis does not share our values on School Choice (and probably other issues). In fact, Hovis is actively blocking our pro-active School Choice agenda which Governor Kasich supports.
Hovis was elected by the other board members by just 1 vote. However, there is one board member (Martha Harris) who was illegally seated due to the Democrats' paperwork error. Harris is not a legitimate board member, yet Hovis allowed Harris to vote for Board President. I believe Harris was the vote that put Rob Hovis over the top to win the vote for Board President.
Ask Rob Hovis to do the right thing by allowing a re-vote so that the people of Ohio have a legitimate president of the SBE (whether it ends up being Mr. Hovis or someone else).
Mark Stevenson
Ohioans for Educational Freedom Director