Ohio

Children's Defense Fund - Greater Cincinnati Project

The Children's Defense Fund-Greater Cincinnati Project is the Southwest Ohio chapter of the Children's Defense Fund, the national research and advocacy organization. In conjunction with the Cincinnati Public Schools and several other organizations, the Project has piloted the Cincinnati Community Education Project, which seeks to create community learning centers in six Cincinnati neighborhoods as part of a citywide school facilities improvement process. The organization has also provided support to Cincinnati public schools in organizing local decision-making councils and facilitating school-level reforms based on the district's accountability plan.

Eileen Cooper Reed, Director/Advocate
Children's Defense Fund - Greater Cincinnati Project
258 Erkenbrecher Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
(513) 751-2332
Fax: (513) 751-2003
info@cdfcinti.org

Children's Defense Fund - Ohio

Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, the oldest state office of the national research and advocacy organization, the Children's Defense Fund, was started in Columbus in 1981. The group's four major issue areas are Head Start and Childcare, Education, Children's Health, and Family Economics. Its current education-related research and advocacy activities are focused on modernizing public school facilities in Ohio - the worst facilities in the nation according to a study by the United States General Accounting Office.

Eileen Cooper Reed, Director
Children's Defense Fund-Ohio
52 East Lynn Street, Suite 400
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3508
(614) 221-2244
Fax: (614) 221-2247
CDFOhio@cdfohio.org

Coalition for Greater Cleveland's Children

The Coalition for Greater Cleveland's Children describes itself as a non-partisan group of public, not-for-profit, and private sector organizations from the Greater Cleveland area that work collaboratively to promote improvements in the education, health, safety, and economic well-being of the children of the Greater Cleveland area.

Amy Nicholls Swanson, Executive Director
(216) 844-3531

Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools

The Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools, in partnership with the Ohio University College of Education, is an organization composed of more than 120 school districts in the 29-county Appalachian region of Ohio, as well as school districts in neighboring counties, institutions of higher education, and related organizations. The Coalition, formed in 1988, states that it advocates for equal educational opportunity for the children of this region. The results of a study commissioned by CORAS on the impact of inequitable school funding on rural children led to the DeRolph lawsuit against the State of Ohio filed by the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding.

Dick Fisher, Executive Director
Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools
McCracken Hall, Ohio University
Athens, Ohio 45701
(740) 593-4414 / (740) 743-1689
Fax: (740) 593-9698
jfisher@netpluscom.com

Community Advocates for Public Education

Community Advocates for Public Education (CAPE) describes itself as an organization of community members from urban areas in Ohio that serves to promote public and political support for public schools through educational, legislative, and political campaigns. CAPE's current efforts focus on advocating for increased state education funding, supporting a moratorium on new charter schools, and opposing school vouchers.

Maryann Barnes, Chairperson
Community Advocates for Public Education
2611 Fairmount Boulevard
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44106
(216) 321-7525
maryanndb@aol.com

KnowledgeWorks Foundation

The KnowledgeWorks Foundation, formerly the Thomas L. Conlan Education Foundation, provides funding and leadership for education initiatives throughout Ohio, with a current emphasis on school facilities construction and renovation. Formed in 1998, the Foundation states that its mission is to improve the facilities planning process through unique public/private partnerships and to inform relevant parties - school boards, educators, policymakers, the media, and voters - about new models for school facilities through public engagement, research, and technical assistance.

KnowledgeWorks Foundation
One West Fourth Street, Suite 200
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Toll Free: (877) 852-3863

New Ohio Institute

The New Ohio Institute is a non-profit statewide think tank on public policy issues in Ohio. In 2001, the Institute's analysis of the state's new school funding formula - which concluded that the new state funding formula shifts money away from urban school districts - was widely cited in briefs filed for the plaintiffs in the DeRolph school funding case. The Institute publishes Primer, a monthly journal on education issues in Ohio.

New Ohio Institute
500 Madison Avenue, Suite 350
Toledo, Ohio 43604-1210
(419) 242-7255
Fax: (419) 242-7522
info@newohio.org

Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding

The Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy, composed of 550 Ohio public school districts, initiated the DeRolph education finance litigation in 1991 and, with attorneys at Bricker & Eckler, LLP, continues to advocate for a "complete systemic overhaul" of the funding system.

William L. Phillis, Executive Director
Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding
100 South 3rd Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215-4236
(614) 228-6540
Fax: (614) 228-6542
ohioanda@sbcglobal.net

Ohio Fair Schools Campaign

The Ohio Fair Schools Campaign describes itself as a coalition of community and parent organizations, local congregations, faith networks, and citizens from urban, suburban, and rural Ohio. The coalition, which has several local chapters and affiliated organizations, states that its purpose is organizing and advocating to achieve high-quality public education for every Ohio child. Currently Ohio Fair Schools is working to disseminate information about Ohio's public school funding system through study guides, for use in local discussion groups, as well as through their bi-weekly online newsletter, What's Up With School Funding.

Ohio Fair Schools Campaign
94 Columbus Road
Athens, Ohio 45701
(740)592-2866
Fax: (740)593-5451
debbie@ohiofairschools.org

Public Education Network Local Affiliates:

The Center for Leadership

The Center for Leadership, founded in 1992, provides unique and valuable resources for educators, students, parents, business groups, community-based organizations, and government. The Center encourages community participation in education and strives to help schools to meet the needs of all students.

201 Burns Road
Elyria, OH 44035
Phone (440) 336-4880
Fax (440) 366-4881
amf@centernet.org

Cleveland Initiative for Education

The Cleveland Initiative for Education, founded in 1990, states that it was formed as the business and philanthropic communities' vehicle to support reform efforts in the Cleveland Municipal School District. The organization's current activities include facilitating partnerships between the city's schools and 200 businesses and organizations in Cleveland, operating professional development programs for teachers and principals, and working with the Cleveland school district to implement its reform agenda.

Dr. Rosemary Herpel, Executive Director
Terminal Tower, 50 Public Square, Suite 511
Cleveland, OH 44113
Phone (216) 566-5988
Fax (216) 566-5987
Rherpel@aol.com

Stark Education Partnership, Inc.

The Stark Education Partnership, a Local Education Fund and member of the national Public Education Network, works to mobilize private sector resources to promote high student achievement in the public schools of Stark County, Ohio - one of the most populous counties in the state with nearly 150 schools. The organization's major initiatives include facilitating a series of "Community Conversations," promoting the Stark County Model of raising student achievement, and providing oversight of a major school restructuring initiative in Canton. It also funds a number of programs for students and teachers to improve teaching and learning in the county.

Dr. Adrienne O'Neill, President
220 Market Avenue, South Suite 350
Canton, OH 44702 2171
Phone (330) 452-0829
Fax (330) 452-2009
aoneill@edpartner.org