Innovation Ohio hosts a weekly communications call with progressive partners across the state.

From abortion rights to redistricting, from the federal level down to the most local elected official, our democracy is under threat from MAGA extremists. Empowering and educating voters to make informed decisions at the voting booth is more important than ever. 

Innovation Ohio is proud to share our 2022 Elections Hub with candidates and voters alike. For voters, you’ll find information on the candidates and issues you’ll see on your ballot this year. For candidates, you’ll find our most recent polling and analysis to help guide your campaign.

Right now, extremist Republican politicians are using lies about Critical Race Theory to ban schools from teaching an honest, accurate history. 

Two Ohio bills (HB 327 and HB 322) could ban teachers from discussing racism, sexism, prejudice, gender studies, and other so-called “divisive concepts.” Even in college.

Similar laws in other states are being used to ban books and remove important historical figures from required curriculum.

These curriculum bans are being pushed by national extremist groups. Their goal is to white-wash history and erode faith in our public schools.

We demand an honest, accurate, diverse education for Ohio kids. Stop HB 327 and HB 322. Keep politicians out of our classrooms.

Get involved

• Sign up for updates from the Honesty For Ohio Education Coalition.
• Sign up for updates from Innovation Ohio.
• Upcoming Events
• We now offer an advocacy training to help Ohioans fight back against bills that would ban honest, accurate, diverse curriculum from our classrooms.
  • Do you know a group interested in hosting one of these free, virtual trainings? Email us! Info@InnovationOhio.org

Contact these Ohio legislators

Tell them to keep politicians out of our classrooms— kill HB 327 and HB 322.

House State & Local Government Committee Chair Scott Wiggam:

• 614-466-1474
• Rep01@OhioHouse.gov
• Twitter: @Scott_Wiggam

House Speaker Bob Cupp:

• 614-466-9624
• Rep04@OhioHouse.gov
• Twitter: @SpeakerCupp

Senate President Matt Huffman:

• 614-466-7584
• Huffman@OhioSenate.gov
• Twitter: @MattHuffman1

Relevant articles

• What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack?
  • Stephen Sawchuk, Associate Editor for Education Week
• Explainer: What ‘critical race theory’ means and why it’s igniting debate
  • Gabriella Borter, Reuters
• Critical Race Theory — FAQ
  • NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
• What is critical race theory? Explaining the discipline that Texas’ governor wants to “abolish”
  • Isabella Zou, Texas Tribune
• The fake news sites pushing Republicans’ critical race theory scare
  • Adam Gabbatt, The Guardian
• Texas Senate Votes to Remove Required Lessons on Civil Rights
  • Paul Stinson, Bloomberg
• Why Everyone Is Wrong About Critical Race Theory In Schools
  • Michael Harriot, Former economics professor and contributor at The Root
• A Lesson on Critical Race Theory
  • American Bar Association
• Harvards’ “The Bridge”: Critical Race Theory
• Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. This year’s celebrations come amid a culture war.
  • Mabinty Quarshie, USA TODAY
• Juneteenth Is Officially A National Holiday. Just Don’t Talk About The Legacy Of Slavery.
  • Tasneem Nashrulla, BuzzFeed News

Ohio voters have big choices to make on November 3. In addition to choosing a President, this fall, Ohioans will elect two members of the state Supreme Court, 99 state representatives and 16 state senators, as well as countless local officeholders. As you begin to do your homework, we created this guide to what’s on the ballot across the state to help inform your research into candidates and issues you are likely to see as you head to the polls on November 3.

Paid family and medical leave is guaranteed time off work without losing your job or paycheck for families who are welcoming a new child, providing care for a loved one with a long-term medical situation, or to get care and time to recover for a personal medical situation.

The US is the only industrialized nation that has no federal paid leave policy. That means 1 in 4 women go back to work less than 2 weeks after giving birth. Here in Ohio, a staggering 62 percent of working people cannot even qualify for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to take care of their families. Moreover, the cost and responsibility of supporting families fall disproportionately on those who can least afford it: women, people of color, and low-wage working people.

Do you have a story about a time when you needed paid leave? Or a story about how having paid leave would make a difference in your life? Share your experience on the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network’s website.

It is past time our public policy matched what today’s working families really need. Join us to win quality paid family and medical leave for everyone.

Do you have a story about a time when paid leave helped you? Or a story about how paid leave would change your life? Share your story on the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network’s website.

In 2020, our nation will undergo a complete count of its population and next year this count will determine political representation for the next decade. The complete and accurate count in the 2020 Census ensures these districts are accurate and reflect the population that lives within the boundary lines. Innovation Ohio wants to ensure that everyone has access to our democracy and that our democracy is responsive to the concerns of its citizens.

Innovation Ohio Education Fund produces research and analysis from leading experts on the subject about the state of education funding in Ohio. In 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court of Ohio ruled in a 4-3 decision that our state’s school funding formula “fails to provide for a thorough and efficient system of common schools,” as required by the Ohio Constitution, and directed the state to find a remedy. Three decades later, nothing has changed.

Because of this inaction, Innovation Ohio Education Fund strives to make education a centerpiece of our conversation about equity and justice for working and middle-class Ohioans, particularly through the work of our Education Policy Fellow Stephen Dyer.

Education Projects

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Know Your Charter 

KnowYourCharter.com is a tool designed to help the citizens of Ohio better understand how publicly-funded charter schools are faring and how they compare to traditional public schools using your school district or charter school name. Know Your Charter is a collaboration between Innovation Ohio Education Fund and the Ohio Education Association.

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10th Period Blog

Stephen Dyer is the author of 10th Period, a blog that generates Ohio-centric commentary dedicated to facilitating a thoughtful discussion about making education great for all. His blog has been reprinted or referenced by the National Education Policy Center, Diane Ravitch, Real Clear Education, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Areas of Focus

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Championing School Funding Reform

Our Education Policy team has worked for two decades with members of both parties to fundamentally change the way we fund schools to actually calculate and pay for what a world-class education costs. Our Education Policy Fellow Stephen Dyer authored the last comprehensive school funding change in the state while serving in 2009 as the Chairman of the Primary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee. Since then, he has become one of the state and nation’s top education funding experts and has been quoted or referenced more than any other Education Policy and Funding analyst in local, statewide and national media outlets.

Exposing ECOT

The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow at one time purported to be the largest single online school in the country. However, our Education Policy team helped uncover massive fraud by the school, which had been long protected by its large campaign contributions to powerful Ohio politicians. The school closed in 2018 after pressure from IOEF and others forced the Ohio Department of Education to check to see if they actually were educating the kids they claimed. In fact, they couldn’t account for more than $60 million of the $100 million in taxpayer dollars that were diverted to them from local public school districts

Higher Education Advocacy Coalition

Our Education Policy team is working with multiple higher education advocacy groups to ensure post-secondary education options, not just four-year colleges, are more accessible and affordable for more students so they can complete their programs on time and successfully with minimal debt if any.

Cleveland Municipal School District Transformation Plan

Our Education Policy team worked with the Cleveland Teachers Union and the district to do a fair and unbiased assessment of the success the Cleveland Transformation Plan was having in the city, as well as areas where it was finding less success. The report that IOEF produced has been cited by the district and teacher’s union as a balanced examination that was fair and accurate.

Ohio Education Funding Data Project

Our Education Policy team has compiled reams of Ohio education funding data for two decades, keeping lawmakers, governors and other policymakers informed about the bottom-line impacts of the state’s policy changes on local districts, families, and students.

Ohio Charter School Reform Coalition

Our Education Policy team brought together advocates from both charter and traditional public school perspectives to mutually develop ways to improve Ohio’s standing as the “Wild, Wild West of Charter Schools”. The result was the most comprehensive, bipartisan Charter School reform in the state’s history.