(The Center Square) – Students in Ohio are in the middle of competing legislation from Republicans.
One bill would keep them in school longer, possibly eliminating things like field trips, teacher work days and absences for things like 4-H. Another recently introduced bill pushes for excused absences for 4-H and Future Farmers of America.
Reps. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Township, and Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, said 4-H and FFA are key to developing life and work skills, an idea Gov. Mike DeWine encouraged in his State of the State address last week.
The same ideas were behind new legislation from Republicans to require students pass a computer science class before graduation.
The 4-H, FFA bill would give students in kindergarten through 12th grade an excused absence for participating in either program. Students would have to provide documentation proving their participation, and districts would have to allow them to make up missed work.
“The goal of our education system is to give our students lifelong skills that allow them to achieve success in the future,” said Hall. “4-H and FFA strive to provide students hands-on experience to achieve the exact same goal.”
The idea comes after Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, specifically mentioned 4-H as a reason Ohio students spend significantly fewer instructional hours in school than many of their peers.
Bird singled out 4-H, field trips, teacher workdays, college visits and recently passed religious release time as reasons why Ohio students spend only 1,001 hours of instructional time during the school year.
His legislation would grow that number to 1,054 hours, still below Kentucky’s 1,062, Michigan’s 1,098, Wisconsin’s 1,050 and Texas’ 1,260.
“We continue to move down this path of allowing additional release time, not only for religion but 4-H experience and for things that are valid,” Bird said. “Time matters. Time in front of a teacher matters. I think parents will love this bill. Parents understand that time at school is imperative to getting the best education possible.”
Bird, a former teacher, principal and school superintendent, wants districts to be able to decide what to allow and what to eliminate in order to reach the 1,054-hour mark.
