In Kasich's Ohio, Public Schools Must Accept Church Mentors to Get State Grant Money

Ohio Governor John Kasich (R)

Last Spring, Ohio's legislature passed HB 483.  

In June of 2013, it was signed into law by Governor John Kasich (R). A section of that bill was dedicated to education reform for Ohio schools.  One of the provisions in the law created state grants for school districts to provide students with role models and mentoring.  

The exact wording of the paragraph establishing the mentoring program reads: "Eligible school districts shall partner with members of the business community, civic organizations, OR the faith-based community to provide sustainable career advising and mentoring services." (Note the use of the word "or" which I chose to capitalize here for emphasis.  It is not capitalized in the legal document.)

On November 3, 2014, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed executive order 2014-05K creating a Community Connector Advisory Board that will provide guidelines for Ohio's public schools as they start the school mentoring program and designates the rules for those organizations wishing to become student mentors.

Last week, Governor John Kasich revealed more details on how the plan will work and, in doing so, added a surprise element--participation by a church is now required.   -Pastor- Mr. Kasich doesn't seem to think the "or" used in the original bill's language should apply to the way he plans to implement the new law.

As reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Friday (any underlines are mine):

"Any school district that wants a piece of that state money must partner with both a church and a business--or faith-based organization and a non-profit set up by a business to do community service.

No business and no faith-based partner means no state dollars."

Note here that a business, a church or a civic organization will not be permitted to mentor alone as indicated in HB 483.  A business must be partnered with a church.  Under Mr. Kasich's rules, that "or" has been effectively changed to an "and." 

"'You must include a faith-based partner,' United Way of Greater Cleveland President Bill Kitson, told potential applicants at an information session the United Way hosted Thursday here in Cleveland.  Kitson sits on Kasich's advisory panel for the program. 

Buddy Harris, a senior policy analyst for the Ohio Board of Education added, "Partnerships between just schools, business and a community non-profit won't qualify."

 In a recorded message played during the meeting, Mr. Kasich told the attendees, "The good Lord has a purpose for each and everyone of them (students) and you're helping them to find it."

After the meeting, Buddy Harris, a senior policy analyst for the Ohio Board of Education added, "The faith-based organization is clearly at the heart of the vision of the governor."

what eye thynk:   When Mr. Kasich first spoke of the program in his State of the State speech, there was no mention of a church or faith-based requirement.  When the bill was debated in the legislature, no mention was made of a church or faith-based requirement.  The law that was passed never made the inclusion of a church or faith-based organization a requirement.  Church participation was clearly intended from the beginning, but only as one option, (thus lawmakers' use of the word "or.")

Beyond the fact that Mr. Kasich obviously believes the federal separation of church and state does not apply to Ohio and that he has the right to establish his own conditions above and beyond what state law dictates, I have a few questions:

1. Mr. Kasich, who gave you the right to force a faith-based requirement on Ohio's children and their families?
2. And how will you choose the churches to participate?  
3. Will the children whose families belong to churches that preach gay people should be loved and accepted be mentored by a church that teaches being gay is an abomination?  
4. Will the children who are taught that a woman has the right to make her own medical decisions be given a role model from a church that wants to ban abortion?
5. And what about children from non-Christian families?  A Christian mentor can't help but be a confusing choice for a child being raised as a Jew, or a Muslim or a Buddhist.
6. Will Wiccan believers be permitted to mentor a Baptist child? Will Wiccans be accepted as mentors at all?
7. And what of the child being brought up in a secular household?  Will the child be told his parents are wrong because they don't believe?

Mentoring, as proscribed in HB483, is a positive idea. Your above-and-beyond-the-law interference is anything but positive.  Faith is a matter of privacy between a student and his family.  It is not the business of the state and it certainly isn't yours.

Ohio's public school children deserve a quality education--one that does not include an indoctrination.