Ohio's Proposed Parent Trigger Act

What if parents paid a larger role in whether a failing public school stays open or is shuttered? In California, one district is finding out about the so-called “parent triggerâ€? law, which includes a provision that allowed parents to organize for change. Ohio Governor John Kasich’s proposed two-year spending plan now under consideration in the legislature includes a similar provision giving parents the power to “triggerâ€? changes in an under-performing school when at least 50% of parents sign a petition. How would such a concept work and what’s the cost benefit analysis? We’ll talk with Los Angeles Times staff writer Teresa Watanabe about a “parent triggerâ€? law enacted in California last year, and we’ll hear two points of view about whether the Governor’s proposal will be an effective educational reform, with Heartland Institute Center for School Reform Director Bruno Behrend and Ohio House of Representatives Assistant Minority Whip Representative Debbie Phillips (92nd District).