May/June 2010 Ohio Schools

It’s the Sunday after Thanksgiving and while it’s cold outside, the sun is shining brightly, and my spirits are lifted. It’s been a busy, yet somehow restful, five-day break. I’m thankful for the time I had to visit with friends, feast with my family, decorate for Christmas, and even do a little on-line shopping. However, the reality of tomorrow morning is already settling in…Seventeen days of school until Christmas vacation….

Seventeen days of combating overexcited kids, sugar rushes, 24-hour holiday radio, and the general hustle and bustle of the season. Don’t get me wrong. I love the holidays. I love the magic. What I don’t love is trying to keep up a normal routine in my classroom.

As teachers we have two choices…to fight something that has been advertised since the day after Halloween, or to let it happen (because you know it will) and turn the holidays into teachable moments.

Teachers of younger students can turn to the tried and true holiday activities with picture books, songs, and thematic lessons of The Polar Express, The Mitten, and The Twelve Days of Christmas. Writing lessons can revolve around letters to Santa, holiday greeting cards, and multi-cultural lessons on holiday traditions. The following links offer 30 ideas for holiday lessons ranging from fine arts to the core content areas for three major holidays: Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah

If you would rather not promote one specific holiday, or you’d rather focus on the non-commercial aspects of the season, try touching on the true spirit of the holidays – peace, goodwill, charity, and compassion – as suggested on the Teaching Tolerance website in the 1987 article, Problems with Christmas Curriculum. Although the article is over 20 years old, the debate of Christmas’s place in the classroom can still be heard. Considering there are probably more people in need than there have ever been, this is a wonderful opportunity to show students how it is possible to touch the lives of others.

Many schools participate in Toys for Tots, Share-A-Christmas, or Salvation Army drives during this time of year. While it’s sometimes “tradition” for schools to participate in such charity drives, students may be desensitized to such activities. To find a charity that matches the personality and interests of your classroom, try the search tool at www.universalgiving.org. Or think locally and provide assistance to a local animal shelter, homeless shelter, or nursing home. Ask your students how they would like to give to others in need.

As you write your lesson plans for these final weeks of 2010, challenge your students to experience the gift of giving, allow yourself to enjoy the magic of the holidays with your students, and most of all, have fun. After all, it is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

By Melanie Krause, Dover Education Association

Post-election season commentaries in the media made much mention of a Republican “storm” or “hurricane” in Ohio as well as on the federal level. But this was not the storm; nor was it the hurricane. My friends, the perfect storm is on the radar. It is bearing down on us and will arrive in January.

When Governor-elect Kasich takes office in January, he is faced with figuring out how to plug our state’s $8.1 billion dollar biennial budget hole. During the campaign, he was careful to offer no ideas or plan on how to fix our budget.

Kasich did, however, make a promise during the campaign regarding education; he said he’d scrap the Ohio Evidence-Based Model for school funding. Millions of Ohio students will feel the effect of the governor-elect’s promise if he keeps it.

In order to make that change, legislation must be passed by both the Ohio House and Senate and then signed by then-Governor Kasich. He has made his intentions clear; it is time that we as educators make ours clear to the legislators of the Ohio General Assembly.

In the spring of 2007, Governor Strickland submitted his first biennial budget to the Ohio General Assembly. I had the opportunity to give testimony to the House Budget Committee along with several other teachers from Columbus. Our mission was simple: explain to the legislators the importance of increased school funding and increased charter school accountability.

So many people wanted to testify, the folks at the statehouse set up an overflow room. Charter school students crowded the room, bused in by their schools’ for-profit management companies. The students all had t-shirts bearing the name of their schools. I remember how it sickened me that those schools used their students as emotional props for the legislators. Not one student testified; but the employees of the for-profit schools did.

I had to wait until the next day to give my testimony to the committee because so many people wanted to be heard. After waiting a few hours, my group was called to speak. I went first.

I had the attention of the legislators from the very beginning. I spoke of what it was like to be teacher in Columbus, of the challenges we faced.

I delivered a message from one of the senior students in my Government class. We had been using the same Government textbooks since 1998; and my student, Ruthie, constantly complained about it.

“These books,” she said to me often, “tell us Clinton is our President, that he is in the middle of his second term. There have been two presidential elections and one impeachment attempt that the book doesn’t have.” I could say nothing to Ruthie in class to massage her indignation. I figured that the best tonic was to take her message to the Budget Committee.

After I finished, the other teachers from my group gave their testimony. When we finished, we were exhausted but hopeful after speaking our hearts and our minds. Then one of the Representatives from Kasich’s party indicated they had questions. For me. My heart skipped a beat.

“Mr. Hayes,” he began, “as a social studies teacher, do you want updated textbooks with current government figures in them?”

I was flabbergasted. I know what a leading question is and how to detect it—but this was not a leading question. This was an actual, honest-to-goodness question.

I answered in the affirmative and gave my explanation. He asked me several more questions, but the years have made them fade in my memory.

That exchange after testimony made me realize two things. The first is that particular legislator didn’t know what teachers needed. The second is that he had the courage to ask in front of his fellow committee members to get the actual information.

Those two lessons are critical as we head into budget season at the statehouse. We must make sure that the legislators who will be in office when these critical decisions are made hear our voices. If it’s standing in front of a committee giving testimony, calling them on the phone, meeting with them in their office or writing a letter, we must do everything we can to protect education at all costs.

According to law, the Governor must submit a budget to the General Assembly by March 15. The perfect storm is coming; I refuse to evacuate. We must fight this storm with everything we have, because if we don’t the day after the storm education in Ohio could be declared a disaster zone.

By Phil Hayes, Columbus Education Association

As a high school social studies teacher, I walk the line with my senior students each year. It’s tough. The year-long course I teach is required by my district, and it’s all about Government. Every year, I am met with the same question from my students during election season.

“Mr. Hayes, who are you going to vote for?”

Their question takes on a particular poignancy during Presidential elections. However, my answer is the same each and every year.

“I’ll tell you who I am going to vote for,” I say, scanning the room to make sure I’ve got their attention. The room is quiet; so much so that you can hear a pin drop. After making them endure an excessive pregnant pause, I continue.

“I’ll tell you who I voted for,” I continue, “after you walk across the stage, after I place your diploma in your hand. You can ask me who I’ve voted for since I’ve been registered.”

Grumbles and moans fill the classroom. I immediately address their frustration.

“You need to understand something,” I tell them. “My job is to teach you how to think, not what to think.”

I have to tell you that I take that charge very seriously. I don’t wear political buttons or t-shirts to school. I don’t put political stickers on my car. My students know which one is mine, and where I park every day. Even though it’s my First Amendment Right to do engage in that form of self-expression, I choose not to.

I do, however, have a t-shirt I wear to school on Fridays when I’m feeling particularly subversive. It reads “Danger: Educated Union Member”.

I know that my brothers, sisters and I are a danger to Governor Strickland’s opponent. Why else would that guy want to break our backs?

I know that Ted Strickland has my best interests at heart; it is my union that has educated me. Not Rupert Murdoch, not the Republican Governor’s Association, and certainly not Fox News.

Strickland’s record as Governor honors the profession I and hundreds of thousands of my brothers and sisters have chosen to spend our lives in.

I plan to honor Gov. Strickland on Tuesday by casting my vote for him.

When I walk in bright and early on Election Day, I’ll proudly wear my “Danger: Educated Union Member” t-shirt. I’m not taking that t-shirt off when I walk into my classroom, even though it’s a Tuesday. I’ll still get the same question I always do from my students. My answer to them will be the same, but I’ll be smiling when I tell them.

Brothers and sisters, Election Day is almost upon us. It is up to us to make a difference.

I know the location of my polling place, when it opens and how I’m getting there. I know which candidates are going to help me help the students I teach. Do you?

Find your polling place and see a sample ballot

By Phil Hayes, Columbus Education Association

Do you know who will receive your vote on November 2nd? Do you know the issues? Do you believe that things need to change? Before you head to the polls, it is important to know that changing governors at this time will not be in the best interest of Ohio’s public schools.  Check out OEA’s Campaign 2010 website so you can understand the reasons for keeping Governor Ted Strickland in office.

In the past month, I have done my homework and I am ready. I feel I will go to the polls with more confidence, knowledge, and hope than I have in the past.

Confidence…that I am voting for the right people who will maintain, and hopefully improve, education versus a candidate who will simply make bad things worse.

Knowledge…about the current political issues that could affect my job – merit based pay, school funding, competition with charter schools, national curriculum standards, and longer school years.

Hope…that I can continue doing what I love to do everyday….With the prospect of more support and less pressure, which will surely raise morale. With the promise of realistic, reasonable, and reachable expectations for students and teachers. With an end to unfair, unrealistic, biased expectations for those who are struggling to teach students who struggle every day.

For the first time in 15 years, I am standing at the top of the halfway point, where teachers often breathe a sigh of relief and say, “It’s all downhill from here.” Sometimes after a really long day, or reviewing low test scores, or hearing new demands by my students’ parents, the district, or the state, I wonder if I can possibly hang in there 15 more years.

Pessimists will do nothing, say they can’t change things, and fall ungracefully down the hill, blaming others all the way down.  They may figure that the only answer is something (or someone) else.

However, I am an optimist. I love my job and I know I could never give it up. We cannot give up on Governor Strickland.  Education will always be an uphill battle but as a confident, informed, hopeful voter I chose to believe that there is nowhere to go…but up.

By Melanie Krause, Dover Education Association