At the 2013 OEA Awards Banquet held Friday, Amanda Wallace of the Steubenville Education Association received the $4,000 John F. Kennedy Scholarship.  The John F. Kennedy Scholarship is awarded annually for graduate university course work to an OEA member who is an active career teacher and has demonstrated a need for financial assistance.

OEA, representing 121,000 teachers, education support professionals and higher education faculty, held its Spring Representative Assembly at Veterans Memorial in Columbus. The theme of the Assembly, May 10-11, was Our Guiding Values. Highlights of the Representative Assembly included a visit by political commentator Ed Schultz, host of MSNBC-TV’s “The Ed Show.” Delegates honored Schultz as the recipient of the Ohio Education Association Friend of Education Award.

Members of the Ohio Education Association, the state’s largest education employee union have elected Becky Higgins to a three-year term as President, and Scott DiMauro to a three-year term as Vice President.

At its Spring Representative Assembly in Columbus, members of the Ohio Education Association, the state’s largest education employee union, voted to support careful implementation of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts and mathematics – but warned that outdated tests and lack of support for the standards could create major obstacles for success.

The House and Senate are taking steps to provide long overdue recognition to the important work performed each day by education support professionals. Bipartisan bills to create a national Education Support Professional of the Year Award have been introduced in both chambers: S. 456 by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and H.R. 1763 by Representative Dina Titus (D-NV). Urge your Senators and Representative to support and co-sponsor these bills.
 

Save on brand name merchandise from hundreds of top retailers, online stores and local merchants with NEA Member Benefits. Learn about exclcusive discounts and savings available to you as a member. NEA Click & Save, the online discount buying service for members, highlights select retailers and merchants each month. Check out the featured “Buy-lights” for June and start shopping today!

Memorial Day is just around the corner, which means a nice long weekend for most of us. A lot of people use Memorial Day as part of a long weekend to get together with family and friends, catch up on errands, or engage in recreational activities. It’s also become a traditional signal that summer has started. OEA Access has some ideas for your big weekend that also include some big savings.

The OEA Minority Leadership Training Program (MLTP) targets ethnic minority members who have an interest in Association activities and leadership roles. The training fosters development of an understanding of organizational culture, an appreciation for cultural diversity & inclusiveness, and the identification & demonstration of skills required for effective leader-ship in a multicultural setting. The training also explores the importance of minority involvement at all levels.

This year the academy will be focused on the leadership, collective bargaining, communications, organizing, political action and professional advocacy skills to be a leader in the current education environment. The academy will be held August 5 - 7, 2013 at the Hilton Downtown in Columbus, Ohio. The academy cost to attendees is $100, but be sure to ask your local leaders about scholarship assistance.

On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, the Ohio House unanimously passed Senate Bill 21.  The bill, sponsored by Senator Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering), makes a number of changes to the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.

Don’t let corporate interests fool you with the deceptive misnomer “right to work.” They’re hoping you never realize RTW means less freedom for workers, not more. RTW also threatens the safety of our working conditions by stifling workers’ freedom to point out potential safety issues on the job. Please join urgent member meetings to head off the So-Called Right to Work amendment. Meetings are scheduled throughout Ohio from April 22 to May 22.
 

The OEA has received numerous communications from members about the recently-passed Third Grade Reading Guarantee, particularly related to the new requirements for teachers. In response to two Action Alerts sent out by Government Relations in the last couple of weeks, OEA members have sent over 1,500 correspondences to legislators with their concerns about the law. Although we are pleased to see so many members taking political action on the issue, we must continue to put pressure on legislators to improve the law.