Public Education Matters

Westerville Education Association member Pablo Chignolli believes everyone has a story to tell. His story is shaped by his experiences after immigrating to the United States from Peru as a young adult. The hardship and discrimination he faced then led him on a journey to foster cultural awareness and inclusivity. Now, as a Spanish teacher at Westerville Central High School, he has teamed up with a...

As public employees, OEA members pay into - and count on - public pensions to provide an adequate retirement when they leave our public schools. But, as OEA Secretary-Treasurer Mark Hill explains, the explosion of vouchers using public tax dollars to pay for private school tuition in Ohio is creating a very concerning threat to the future sustainability of Ohio's public pension systems. We also he...

In Ohio, students learning in school districts that are separated by just a few miles may feel like they are living in separate worlds. But these students have far more in common with each other than they may think, and together, they can take on some of the toughest questions in our society. Olentangy Teachers Association member Derek Burtch explains how his non-profit organization Erase the Spac...

Our brains crave powerful narratives. Stories help us interpret new information and shape our understanding of the world. They can also motivate us into action. That's what makes storytelling such a powerful tool for organizing within a union. In this episode, Dr. Kevin Cordi and Katie Fuller continue to share their insights and their own stories to explain. Plus, we hear from the OEA endorsed STR...

Just about every educator has no doubt worked with "that kid." It's the student who can't sit still, who can't just focus, who seems to lash out when faced with even a minor perceived slight. Lindsay Rice was "that kid" and she knows all too well how challenging, and even sometimes traumatic, school can be for other "that kids" like her. But now, as a third grade teacher, Rice is working to share...

From its humble beginnings in a closet at an OEA Representative Assembly to its evolution into an important resource for all educators across Ohio, there's a lot you probably don't know about the Ohio Association of Special Needs Professionals, or OASNP. In this episode, OASNP leaders Jené Wilson and Nikki Nadasky offer five surprising facts about the organization within OEA. We also hear from Med...

Ohio's Primary Election Day is March 19, 2024, and across Ohio, voters will be deciding everything from primary races for state legislative seats to school levies. The presidential primary, though, is usually what makes the headlines. And, at the upcoming Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention, the parties' nominations for the US presidential race are usually what gets t...

The General Assembly's recent track record on public education issues - including efforts to attack honest education, create universal voucher schemes, and remove accountability measures for the state's charter schools - have earned Ohio a dubious distinction: We are near the bottom of the list of states when it comes to support for public schools. In fact, a new report from the national Network f...

Educators need to have a seat at the table when policy decisions are being made, whether that's in their local community or in our statehouse in Columbus. But, for many educators considering a run for public office, it may be difficult to know where to begin. That's where NEA's See Educators Run program comes in. On this episode of the podcast, we hear from Orange Teachers Association member Ship...

Every day, it takes a whole team of educators to help Ohio's public school students succeed, and Education Support Professionals (ESPs) are a vital part of that team. On this episode of Public Education Matters, we hear from three ESP leaders about the challenges faced by their ESP colleagues and the value of union membership for ESPs. We also hear from the editor of OEA's "Ohio Schools" magazine...

Ohio adopted a package of laws in 2021 to strengthen supports for students with dyslexia through early screening and interventions and professional development to help educator help students with dyslexia thrive. But, as Ohio's dyslexia policy rollout continues in the 2023-2024 school year, some educators are expressing frustration. Delaware City Education Association member Natalie Geer, a ONE Me...

Marietta Education Association member Alex Myers is on a mission to make sure every child can get the benefits of great physical education classes in welcoming environments that embrace differences in kids’ abilities, and he wants to make sure educators have training about how to adapt their phys. ed. lessons to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Now, he's asking other educators to join...

From addressing issues with chronic absenteeism and classroom behavior problems to help students achieve their full potential and plan for their futures, family engagement with educators is crucial. In this episode of Public Education Matters, the director of the Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center at the Ohio State University offers practical advice for building positive relationships with fa...

Ohio's public school educators are called to the profession by an unwavering commitment to student success. But not every person in Ohio's public school classrooms now may have felt that calling at the beginning of their career arc. On this episode of Public Education Matters, we hear from 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year Mark Lowrie about his journey from being a sports producer to building one of t...

Across Ohio, educators are contending with growing caseloads of English Learners (ELs) while fighting for the supports and resources they need to meet their students' needs. Members of the Ohio Education Association's EL Cadre are coming together to support each other in that fight and to advocate for the students they serve. On this episode of Public Education Matters, two EL Cadre members set th...

Public education is the foundation of a strong, functioning democracy, and as part of their education opportunities in Bay Village, Ohio, a group of 17- and 18-year-old students is doing their part to support the future of our democracy by becoming poll workers for Election Day on November 7th. The Bay High School teacher who coordinated this opportunity for them shares his thoughts on this episod...

Local school boards play a critical role in setting the working and learning conditions in Ohio's classrooms every day. That's why it is critical to elect school board candidates who understand the real issues facing our schools and what our students need to learn grow and thrive. In this episode, we hear from two school board candidates running for seats in the Cincinnati area who are able to pro...

Educators know mental health must be treated like physical health - it's a basic need that must be met for students to be able to successfully learn and grow in our schools. But, since even before the pandemic, there's been a growing mental health crisis among children. Dr. Ariana Hoet, executive clinical director for Nationwide Children's Hospital's On Our Sleeves program, joins the Ohio Educatio...

A high-quality public education is the foundation of a strong democracy, and part of the work Ohio's public school educators do every day to support that democracy is helping students understand the importance of civic engagement through the elections process and how they can shape their communities. In this episode of Public Education Matters, we learn more about how Kids Voting Ohio is helping t...

As the new school year gets underway, the Ohio Education Association is unveiling a new sound and new format for its podcast, while reaffirming the unwavering commitment of its 120,000 members to creating the excellent public schools every child deserves. Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro kicks off season 4 of the podcast with an insightful look at how educators are using their un...

Public Education Matters; it's the heart of it all. In the Season 3 finale, we reflect on the challenges and victories over the last school year as well as the opportunities that lie ahead as educators across the state join with parents and community leaders to show the world why Public Education Matters in Ohio. Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro shares his thoughts about why Publ...

The strength of Ohio's public schools is in the beautiful diversity of the nearly 1.7 million students they serve, and it is imperative that educators are empowered to provide culturally responsive education in inclusive environments to students of every race, background, gender, religion, and ability, so all students can learn, grow, and thrive. But when it comes to best serving Muslim students,...

Across the state, school districts have found it harder and harder to fill some positions as many educators leave the profession and fewer educators join the workforce in their place. After Manchester City Schools in Adams County could not get candidates to apply for a high school science teaching job, the superintendent asked Jeff Crask - who was working at Wal-Mart after retiring from teaching n...

Education is often a family business, with generations of great educators following a parent's footsteps into the profession. For Columbus Education Association member Tara Johnson, education was certainly in her blood, but it wasn't her first career choice. For this final installment in the A Legacy of Education series, Tara Johnson, and her mom Terry Johnson, a retired Columbus teacher, sat down...

On August 8, 2023, voters in Ohio will have a choice: Accept an amendment that destroys majority rule in Ohio and shreds the sacred principle of "one person, one vote" in our state or vote no on that measure to protect our freedom to make decisions that affect our lives and our futures by preserving the constitutional amendment ballot initiative rules that have worked well in our state for over a...