Responding to a series of newspaper, web and radio stories on value-added scroes of individual Ohio teachers, Patricia Frost-Brooks, President of the Ohio Education Association criticized the fairness of the stories and the wisdom of using value-added scores as such a prominent index of teacher success.

Want to blog? OEA wants you to write for our blog, Voices of Change. Interested writers are encouraged to enter OEA's Open Call for Bloggers contest immediately! Email your entry to quesadad@ohea.org with the subject line "Open Call for Bloggers" by August 31st. If you are an OEA member and want to have your voice heard, we need you to write about the issues affecting public education today from your unique perspective. Talk about what’s on your mind and impacts your local community.

It’s time to shop for all of summer’s big events, including Father’s Day and graduation! You’ll enjoy summer savings on fantastic gift ideas with OEA Access discounts. June is also National Candy Month! It’s a great time to celebrate the delicious taste of these chewy, gooey, sour, sweet, crunchy, soft, smooth treats.

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careful implementation of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts and mathematics – but warned that outdated tests and lack of support for the standards could create major obstacles for success.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!

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.

Earlier this week, the Senate Finance Committee amended House Bill 59, the budget bill for FY 14 and FY 15.  The bill passed the Senate Finance Committee this week with a party line vote of 9-4 and passed the Ohio Senate after lengthy debate by a vote of 23-10.  The Senate-passed version of the bill makes positive changes to certain education-related issues.