For Immediate Release
May 13, 2013
Contact: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469
 

Ohio Education Association Awards Steubenville Teacher

Columbus — Each year the Ohio Education Association honors the hard work and commitment teachers have for the success of their students.   With the announcement of its 2013 prize winners, the Ohio Education Association once again celebrated the hard work, commitment, and success of public education employees and students. 

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 President Patricia Frost-Brooks said, “I’m sure I speak on behalf of the 121,000 members of the OEA when I say congratulations and job well done on this well-deserved recognition to Amanda. We educators know that while achievement presents great challenges in public education there are many instances where these challenges are being met head on and being overcome!  We know our teachers are deeply committed to the success of every child.” 

The Ohio Education Association represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.

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For Immediate Release
May 13, 2013
Contact: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469
 

Ohio Education Association Representative Assembly celebrates association’s guiding principles and collective advocacy for public education and students

Columbus – The Ohio Education Association (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. The OEA is the eighth largest state affiliate of the 3 million-member National Education Association (NEA).

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. Schultz was recognized for being a staunch ally of educators, public education and organized labor. He stood with Ohioans on Issue 2 to defend collective bargaining rights. He is a friend to everyone who works for a living, everyone who belongs to the middle class, and everyone who longs for an America that treats all its citizens with respect and fairness. While addressing the assembly Schultz said, "There is an unparalleled, unprecedented, relentless attack on public education and public school educators. You can't cut 6,000 teachers out of a state budget and expect to have the same results."”

Delegates also welcomed special guest NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. Van Roekel praised the leadership of outgoing OEA President, Patricia Frost-Brooks saying, “She has led OEA members through some difficult times but she hasn’t been content to survive. She has constantly demanded that we set our sights higher, strengthen our professions, and transform public education. The strength of OEA lies in its’ members, when they come together to collectively advocate for public education and students.”

The Ohio Education Association is the state’s largest professional employee organization and represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members, and support employees in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.

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For Immediate Release
May 10, 2013
Contact: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469
 

Educators Elect New Leaders for State’s Largest Education Employee Union

Columbus – 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. OEA represents 121,000 teachers, education support professionals and higher education faculty.

Higgins, a first-grade teacher in the Copley-Fairlawn City Schools, was elected during OEA’s Representative Assembly, the governing body of the organization comprised of more than 1,000 elected delegates from local education associations throughout Ohio.

Higgins has 19 years of classroom experience and has held Association positions at both the local and district level. She has served as President of the Copley Teachers' Association, as Unit NE-4 Representative on Northeastern Ohio Education Association’s (NEOEA) Board of Directors and as President of NEOEA.

Higgins was President of NEOEA during the Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) crisis in 2011. Immediately after the introduction of SB 5, she worked to build a strong base of support for collective bargaining rights in northeastern Ohio and to guarantee a strong turnout from northeastern Ohio voters opposing Senate Bill 5 and Issue 2.

Higgins will begin a three-year term in September as the top elected leader of Ohio’s largest association of public employees. She replaces outgoing President Patricia Frost-Brooks who is term-limited.

DiMauro, a social studies teacher in Worthington, is a 22-year veteran educator with the Worthington Schools. He currently teaches at Worthington Kilbourne High School while serving as President of Central OEA/NEA and as Chairperson of the NEA Standing Committee on Legislation.

DiMauro has served in a variety of leadership positions, including as full-time local president, a member of his local bargaining team, Central OEA Political Action Coordinator and Leadership Development Chair, a member of the OEA Fund for Children and Public Education State Council, Chairperson of the Central Ohio Regional Coordinating Council and longtime delegate to the OEA and NEA Representative Assemblies. DiMauro was one of three labor representatives on the Ohio School Employees Health Care Board.

DiMauro will begin a three-year term in September and replaces outgoing Vice President William Leibensperger who is term-limited.

The Ohio Education Association represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.

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For Immediate Release
May 10, 2013
Contact: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469
 

OEA demands more funding and expanded support for Common Core Implementation

Columbus – 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.

To address those issues, OEA members called for immediate suspension of outdated testing that does not align with the new Common Core State Standards and demanded comprehensive state and local support for the Common Core to bolster chances for successful implementation and challenging learning opportunities for students.

The moratorium on outdated high-stakes testing must begin now, said OEA President Patricia Frost-Brooks.  “It defies common sense for students, teachers, and schools to be held accountable for test scores based on standards that have been rejected by educators – and the State Board of Education. There is no benefit from teaching and testing young people on outdated standards.”

OEA warned that failure to provide professional development, technology for computer-based testing and time for collaborative planning “threaten successful implementation of the Common Core initiative.”

“The failure of policy makers to fund and support local implementation with the technology and ongoing communication with parents and communities will create unnecessary challenges for school districts and their employees,” said Frost-Brooks.

Common Core has great potential, and the issues OEA has identified are problems with implementation and support, not problems with the standards themselves, Frost-Brooks said.

“Teachers, parents and community leaders all helped create the Common Core, using research, best practices, and their hopes for the next generation,” said Frost-Brooks. “If properly implemented, Common Core learning strategies offer a dynamic foundation for lifelong learning, empowering teachers to use a wider range of strategies and their professional judgment and giving students more time to master essential knowledge and skills.”

The Ohio Education Association represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.

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Trenton Lam, a sixth-grade student at Mayfield Middle School, is the 2013 winner of the Ohio Education Association (OEA) Black History Month essay contest that asked students “what African-American has made the greatest contribution to American democracy, and why?”

Lam, a student of Language Arts Teacher and OEA member Jessica McKay, won the Black History Month essay contest for his essay on Harriet Tubman. Ohio students in grades 4-6 were eligible to compete.

As part of its recognition of Black History Month, OEA broadcast a special radio commercial in which Lam read the following excerpt from his winning essay: “Harriet Tubman was a significant heroine in American democracy. Helping other slaves to freedom is strong evidence of what our country stands for today.”

OEA President Patricia Frost-Brooks will visit Mayfield Middle School to present Lam with a $50 check, a book about black history and a celebratory pizza party for the student and his classmates.

The essay contest provides students with the opportunity to learn more about African-American contributions and the achievement of freedom against many odds. It also showcases the students’ creativity and talent.

The Ohio Education Association represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.

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The Ohio Education Association Reacts to Governor John Kasich’s State of the State Address

COLUMBUS – Today Governor John Kasich gave his State of the State address. The following can be attributed to Ohio Education Association President Patricia Frost-Brooks:

“The governor says he is increasing funding for education, but that’s an empty promise. In fact, his two-year budget doesn’t restore the $1.8 billion he cut from public schools two years ago. Even with his current budget, our kids, classrooms and our local public schools are receiving less state money than when he became governor.

Kasich promised poor districts would get more state funding while wealthy districts would get less. But in reality over 80 percent of Ohio’s poorest districts would get no additional support in 2014.

This budget short changes students while handing out $4.3 billion in new income tax cuts – meaning less money in the state budget to fund vital services like education. Kasich’s earlier education cuts have already forced public schools to seek $1.1 billion in new local operating levies in the past two years, relying more than ever on local property taxes.

Additionally, the Kasich budget sends more taxpayer dollars to private schools, with new aid for failing charter schools and a dramatic expansion of Ohio’s voucher program. Diverting money to these programs hurts 90 percent of Ohio students attending traditional public schools.

In fact, a new poll released Friday by Innovation Ohio states that 60 percent of Ohioans say public schools need more state funding to improve; and 59 percent say Ohio is doing too little to improve the quality of public education.

Governor Kasich and Ohio legislators must be held accountable for providing the resources so that all students can succeed, not just charter schools and private schools supported by vouchers. We are all accountable for student success – teachers, students, parents and elected officials.”

The Ohio Education Association represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469

OEA President says input to Kasich education budget and reform must include all education stakeholders

COLUMBUS, Ohio – January 30, 2013 – Ohio Education Association President Patricia Frost-Brooks has sent a letter to Governor John Kasich saying it is essential to open up the process of the state education budget and accompanying reform proposals to all education stakeholders.

“I am writing to express my disappointment that you are developing a new school funding formula, a state education budget and a set of education reforms in a process that has included only the select few while excluding groups like the Ohio Education Association, which represents more than 121,000 educators, faculty members and education support professionals,” Frost-Brooks wrote.

“In the past, policy processes that exclude key stakeholders have resulted in extreme cuts to Ohio’s public schools, the diversion of public school funding to for-profit charter schools, online schools and voucher-supported private schools. The budget cuts in the current biennium have narrowed curriculum choices for students, increased class sizes and shifted school funding burdens from the state to local districts,” the letter said.

The Ohio Education Association represents more than 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.

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A statement from Ohio Education Association President Patricia Frost-Brooks:

"The Ohio Education Association welcomes Attorney General Mike DeWine’s work to make sure safety plans are up to date and on file for all Ohio schools, and we agree school safety must be a paramount issue. Each school district should develop its plan, train relevant personnel and make careful decisions on school safety and security measures."

"However, teachers and other school employees should not be asked to serve a dual role, armed with concealed weapons to face school intruders as Mr. DeWine suggests. We are focused on student success and providing quality education to students. Policy makers should re-examine the expanded availability of weapons in public places, not add schools to the list. Instead of arming educators, they can enhance school safety with more counselors, better mental health services and partnering with local police to deter violence in schools."

For Immediate Release
Contact: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469

Ohio Education Association statement on Joint School Funding Testimony

COLUMBUS, Ohio – December 5, 2012 – Today, testimony was given in the Ohio General Assembly on school funding by invitation only. Witnesses included the StudentsFirst organization, from Sacramento, CA.  StudentsFirst and other out-of-state reform representatives who provided testimony have generally supported education reforms that emphasize charter school expansion, private school vouchers and accountability for schools and teachers based on student test scores.
 
The following statement can be attributed to Patricia Frost-Brooks, President of the Ohio Education Association:
 
The Ohio Education Association holds consistently to a set of beliefs about quality education and we have articulated a vision for transforming Ohio’s public education system. We believe our schools must support the kind of teaching and learning experiences necessary to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of 21st century work, global citizenship and family life.
 
The OEA is committed to strengthening Ohio’s public education system and its connection to the broader education policy agenda to ensure that all reforms complement and support instructional improvement and innovation in schools and classroom. In short, we put student success at the center of education reform.
 
Ohio needs to provide school funding that matches services they provide and results they are expected to achieve. Our state has set high standards for educators, students and for school operations. All of us must be held accountable for the resources for student success – teachers, students, parents and elected officials. We are committed to advocacy for:

• An adequate and equitable funding system for all schools and all students, with the state paying its fair share.
• An accountability system built upon identifying student needs and providing the resources needed to address them, rather than one built upon punishment and blame.
• A curriculum that is robust and incorporates 21st century skills, the arts, music and physical education, and up-to-date computer technology for all classrooms.
• A system of public schools that encourages creativity and collaboration in our classrooms.
• Support systems that foster and encourage parental involvement, community engagement and accountability by all those involved in making sure that our students succeed.

We value collaboration among all stakeholders as essential for real reform efforts in Ohio, and we believe the voices of Ohio educators need to be provided with equal time. After all, as practitioners they understand Ohio’s teaching and learning issues on a deep and fundamental level.    
 
The Ohio Education Association represents 124,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.
 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – December 1, 2012 – Today, delegates at the Ohio Education Association Fall Representative Assembly overwhelmingly voted to join forces with the Strong Schools, Strong Communities campaign. This campaign is a citizen-driven, non-partisan movement dedicated to informing and engaging Ohioans to tell the stories of excellence and achievement in public schools throughout Ohio – schools that deserve support from their communities and from state government.

Delegates to the Representative Assembly also recognized the 11 OEA member candidates who were on the ballot in the Fall 2012 election. “OEA is committed to electing representatives who understand and support public education in Ohio,” said OEA President Patricia Frost-Brooks. “OEA is proud of these candidates who share our commitment to transforming public education and the success of every child member John Patterson was elected to the Ohio House in the 99^th District sending a teacher to the statehouse.

In her address to the 1,100 member delegates from across Ohio, OEA President Patricia Frost-Brooks outlined some of the many new changes and mandates in the education profession such as the new teacher evaluation process, the Common Core curriculum with new standards and tests, the newly adopted Third Grade reading guarantee, new legislation raising the bar for school district report cards and the punitive attitudes hanging on from No Child Left Behind. “School Districts need time to understand, absorb and implement new ways of doing things.” said Frost-Brooks.“We must join together to take collective action based on fairness and our belief that every student deserves a great public school.”

As Congress prepares for a political showdown in Washington, OEA Executive Director, Larry Wicks, addressed the delegation, warning that the looming fiscal cliff has dire consequences if Congress fails to act for Ohio’s students. The fiscal cliff includes $147.6 million in cuts to education in Ohio, and that means 60,000 Ohio students would lose learning opportunities, ranging from Head Start and preschool to adult literacy education and higher education. “We need Washington to stand up for Ohio’s school children and middle class families and we will hold elected officials accountable. We are calling on Congress to work out a good deal for hard working families. That means no more cuts to the vital services everyday Americans depend on: schools, healthcare, Social Security and public safety.”

In other business, Robin Jeffries, of the Columbus Education Association, was elected to serve on theNational Education Association Board of Directors. The Board is responsible for guiding NEA policy.

The Ohio Education Association represents 124,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.

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