(WKBN) – There are some changes coming to the Ohio Department of Education following the passage of House Bill 33. The first is a name change.
During the first week in October, the Department of Education will be renamed the Department of Education and Workforce and will become a cabinet-level agency reporting to the Governor of Ohio.
The Department of Education and Workforce will be responsible for primary, secondary and career-technical education in Ohio. The director will be appointed by the governor who will then appoint deputy directors.
“The restructuring of the Department is a great opportunity to expand its focus on student success by prioritizing workforce readiness while still advancing its Future Forward Ohio initiatives to help students recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” state leaders wrote on the Ohio Department of Education website.
The legislation also created a new agency called the Department of Children and Youth which is expected to provide more efficient services to children and families in the areas of prevention, early education and support.
The power and duties of the State Board of Education will be divided between the State Board of Education and the Department of Education and Workforce with the State Board in charge of the following:
- Hire state superintendent of public instruction to serve as the executive officer of the State Board;
- Adopt requirements for educator licensure;
- Process and issue educator licenses;
- Investigate and resolve educator misconduct complaints;
- Evaluate background checks, evaluate eligibility for licensure and participate in the retained applicant fingerprint database program;
- Determine school district territory transfer disputes;
- Administer the teacher and school counselor evaluation systems;
- Oversee the Ohio Teacher of the Year program; and
- Interface with, and provide staff support to, the Educator Standards Board.
