Program Cabinet
The ESC Program Cabinet serves as the oversight body for all collaborative initiatives between the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio ESC Association. The purpose of the Program Cabinet is to provide a single point of contact for the Ohio Department of Education and to identify ESCs, using defined criteria, to assist in the statewide implementation of targeted statewide initiatives on behalf of the Ohio Department of Education, Ohio General Assembly, Office of the Governor or other state agencies meeting the following criteria:
- Support equity of, and access to, high quality educational opportunities for Ohio’s students.
- Support the access to high quality professional learning opportunities for Ohio’s educators.
- Utilize Ohio’s regional educational infrastructure in a coordinated and integrated approach.
- Leverage existing networks and partnerships to maximize efficiency and ensure sustainability.
- Support ODE and other state entities in the effective and efficient design and implementation of initiatives requiring statewide coordination and collaboration.
The Program Cabinet was first implemented to oversee work related to the RemotEDx Support Squad during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. The ESC Program Cabinet is comprised of a representative sample of Ohio’s single county, multi-county, rural, urban/suburban ESCs. As initiatives are identified for statewide coordination and brought forward by the Ohio Department of Education for implementation, the Program Cabinet reviews all deliverables, approves implementation and monitoring plans, reviews and approves budgets and expenditures, ensure completion, and promotes consistent and coherent communication among all partners including the Ohio Department of Education, educational service centers and state support teams, information technology centers, and other stakeholders.
At present, the Program Cabinet includes 12 voting members, nine (9) ESC Superintendents or designees and four (4) Department representatives. Additionally, non-voting members with specific knowledge or proximity to a specific initiative are invited to participate in Program Cabinet meetings as necessary. The Program Cabinet meets bi-weekly for 90 minutes, and all meetings are facilitated by OESCA.
Contact: Tom Reed, OESCA, reed@oesca.org
2023-24 Committee Members
ESC Representatives
Shannon Cox (Montgomery County ESC)
Jennifer Felker (ESC of the Western Reserve)
Sandy Frisch (ESC of Lake Erie West)
Chad Hilliker (Hamilton County ESC)
Dave Larson (Miami County ESC)
Randy Lucas (East Central Ohio ESC)
Sandra Mers (South Central Ohio ESC)
Denise Shockley (Gallia Vinton ESC)
Shelly Vaughn (Mercer County ESC)
Ohio Department of Education Representatives
Sherry Birchem
Jana Fornario
Kerry Martinez
Melissa Weber Mayrer