Unsafe for Special Needs Students
My whole life has been dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those with developmental, emotional and/or physical challenges. For 25 years, I have taught students who not only have been diagnosed as having a learning disability, but who also have major medical needs. Larger class sizes and cut backs on supplemental services have negative consequences for students with special needs.
As a special education teacher, parents not only trust me to educate their child; they also want me to make sure their child is safe. It’s a huge responsibility, which is why I’m glad I don’t have to do it alone-I’m part of a team of teachers and education support professionals, like teacher’s aides, school nurses and other employees. We’re a family that is working together to do what’s best for special needs students.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, my school district laid off staff. These cuts have hurt my students because some of the educational aides lost their jobs. I depend heavily on my aides to help me maintain a safe learning environment for my students.
My colleagues and I have been asked to make significant sacrifices, yet Columbus politicians have handed out millions of dollars in tax breaks to their corporate campaign contributors. Slashing funding to schools, especially special education programs, resulting in less staff to take care of our most vulnerable students, is not just wrong—it could result in unsafe conditions.
Issue 2 will hurt our students, not only their education, but their safety too. For me, that’s just too much to risk, which is why I am voting NO on Issue 2.
—Gretchen Washington, special education teacher, Springdale
Shared Responsibility and Fairness
Teachers have enormous responsibilities for making sure that our students get the best possible education—that’s what our jobs are all about. We must work hard to understand and motivate every single student—not just the ones most likely to succeed.
Public schools accept every child—regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, ability or disability, religious or political affiliation, age or sexual orientation. We don’t cherry pick students or give proficiency tests for admission. Our doors are open to all. And as educators, we are committed to the success of every student.
Educators step up to do their part by providing the stable, nurturing, inspiring environment that makes it possible to reach each student individually. We are dedicated to our students, but we know student success is a shared responsibility.
If we are serious about preparing all young people—from pre-K to high school to college and beyond—then we all need to work together to make the right choices to ensure that our schools have the tools and resources necessary to opportunities they need to succeed.
Some Columbus politicians, however, think they’re excused from making tough decisions and the kinds of sacrifices we’ve all had to make as a result of the economy. Many of our elected leaders have made up their own set of rules and used loopholes to exempt themselves. Simply put, the rules don’t apply to them. That’s not fair to my students, their families or mine—and that’s why I am voting NO on Issue 2 to repeal Senate Bill 5.
—Courtney Johnson, high school English and language arts teacher, Ironton
Portrait of a Lunch Lady
My name is Tina Adams, and I am the lunch lady. Every school day for the past 27 years, I have cooked healthy meals and nutritious treats to feed hundreds of hungry kids. For many of my students, the food I serve may be the only meals they receive all day. I keep my students’ bellies full, so teachers can feed their minds.
Working in the school cafeteria, I recognize if my kids aren’t learning because they’re hungry. If my students aren’t eating their vegetables, I know it. I also keep a watchful eye on students who suffer from diabetes or have dietary restrictions. From the time the bell rings in the morning, to when school lets out, I’m their mom.
Not only do I serve as head cook at Prospect Elementary School in Mansfield, I’m also a mother of five children.
We need to rebuild the American Dream and Ohio’s middle class, but Issue 2 works to dismantle it. Issue 2 is unfair, unsafe and hurts my students and working families like mine, that are just trying to make ends meet.
If Issue 2 passes, I won’t be able to help my students get what they need to succeed—and that’s just wrong. That’s why on November 8, I’m serving up a big helping of NO on Issue 2.
—Tina Adams, food service worker, Mansfield, Ohio
Banned Books Week: Celebrate the Right to Read
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| Judith Krug 2011 © American Library Association |
Another school year has begun and before you know it will be time to celebrate Banned Books Week (BBW), Sept 24-Oct 1. BBW was started in 1982 by American librarian and anti-censorship activist, the late Judith Krug, in response to the number of books that were being challenged in libraries and bookstores all over the country. It’s easy to be a censor. Some parents simply refuse to return books they deem offensive and happily pay a lost book fine instead. I call them the “silent censors.” Indykids, a weekly progressive newsletter for kids, is often refused shelf space in public libraries because it has been accused of being one-sided. Censorship is alive and well in America.
Some of the greatest works of American literature have been the most challenged books, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Fahrenheit 451— ironically, a book about how reading has been outlawed in the future.
A meaningful way to celebrate the First Amendment and intellectual freedom is to attend a local event during Banned Books Week. There are several events in Ohio such as the Word Warriors: Banned Brilliance of African American Authors on Tuesday, September 27, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., at the Columbus Urban League, 788 Mt. Vernon Ave. And anyone can participate in the first time ever virtual book reading event, which will be staged on the Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out YouTube channel by the American Library Association. Two and three minute videos of people reading banned books and telling their stories will be posted for viewing.
Of course, the best way to celebrate BBW is by reading those authors who have been consistently accused of writing books that describe sexual situations, promote occult religions, excessive violence and homosexuality, or encourage racism, the use of four letter words, and the taking of the name of ‘G_d’ in vain. Or lacking any of these supposed characteristics, there’s always one of my favorite reasons for censorship, “being inappropriate for age of audience.” Who decides what age is more ready for a concept than another age?
You could read books by Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank, Glass, and Fallout. Hopkins was recently uninvited to the Humble, Texas, Teen Lit Fest after a handful of parents were encouraged, by a librarian no less, into complaining to Superintendent Guy Sconzo. The librarian said Hopkins’ books talked about taboo subjects — drugs, addiction and suicide — and that this was too offensive for their innocent teenagers. Hopkins had participated in two previous Teen Lit festivals without incident, but I guess that was not considered relevant.
Read John Green’s Looking for Alaska or Will Grayson, Will Grayson, (see wickedawesomebooks.com), Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, or Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight series. These books have been read by millions of teenagers around the world in a time when kids would rather be watching TV, playing video games, playing sports or complain that they simply don’t have time to read. I believe that kids want to read! They want books that will inspire them, entertain them, relate to their lives, and describe what they are feeling in any format that they can get. School libraries, public libraries and parents just need to allow their children to read them — and providing some quiet time and space to do so wouldn’t hurt either.
By Susan Ridgeway, Wooster Education Association
More Than Just a History Lesson
As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, we are likely to recollect exactly where and when we were during the news of the terrorist attacks. This has happened time and time again with other generations and tragic events. I remember my parents saying the same thing about JFK or the Kent State shootings. You simply don’t forget days that change the world you know.
Many of our students do not know life as it was before 9/11. Many were not even alive in 2001. This year’s seniors were only 7 or 8 years old at the time of the attack. Some may remember the footage on TV, the reactions of adults around them, and the feelings of anxiety and fear. However, the majority of our students see this event as another day in history. September 11th is a day that they’ve heard about but neither remember nor fully understand.
Perhaps you have already found a way to incorporate Patriot Day into your plans. Because 9/11 falls on a Sunday, you will need to plan activities for the Friday before or the week after. There isn’t much time to pull ideas together so here are a few quick suggestions:
For younger children:
- Share a story: Choose from a list of Children’s Books about 9/11.
- Sing patriotic songs
- Talk about everyday heroes, firefighters, and policemen
- Have a Red, White, and Blue day
For middle school and high school:
- Interpret poetry: Read and analyze Poems written after 9/11.
- Distinguish between fact and opinion: Students write down five things they know about 9/11. Upon sharing, sort their ideas as either fact or opinion.
- Compare and contrast: Find similarities and differences with historic events such as Pearl Harbor.
- Develop interviewing, note taking, and reporting skills: Students brainstorm a list of questions and interview an adult that remembers that day. Students will then report back to the class.
- Create with multimedia: Students incorporate music and photos to create videos about 9/11.
- Study primary sources: Skype with a classroom in New York City to learn about their experiences.
- Explore symbolism: Look at the 9/11 Memorial and the Pentagon Memorial. Discuss the symbolism in the design. Have students create their own memorials.
- Examine cause and effect: Look at the effects of 9/11 on the economy, gas prices, and security.
- Discuss the use of propaganda in the War on Terrorism.
- For even more ideas….Teachable Moments is a website with numerous activities for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, as well as for other current national and world events that promote social responsibility.
They say that history repeats itself, and 9/11 is certainly a day we do not want to see repeated. What can we do as educators so our students learn from this tragedy? What is the best way to make this event relevant to today? What if you aren’t a history teacher? What if your curriculum is so full you feel you can’t take any time away from your subject area? What if you don’t?
Everyday, both in the classroom and in the world around us, we are presented with teachable moments and we must make the most of them. Use the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 as a way to help students understand, never forget, and grow up to be proud citizens of the United States of America.
Students Lose with SB 5
My name is Sophia Rodriguez, and I am the American dream.
The daughter of a migrant worker, my parents came to Mercer County in the ‘50s so they could build a better life for me and my three siblings. I vividly remember that day my mother received her GED—I was in the eighth grade and my father, who didn’t have the opportunity to finish school, reminded us that education was the key to a better future.
Now I’m a classroom teacher. For more than two decades I have dedicated my life to education, and to creating opportunities for my students so they can help strengthen their own families and communities.
But I can’t do it alone.
Every year I return to the classroom, I see the changes. There’s no funding for field trips or money to buy new books. We’ve scaled back on staff and services. Students are clamoring to compete in a global society, but we can’t improve out-of-date technology or replace antiquated computers. For my students, the American dream is becoming more and more out-of-reach. And that’s simply not fair.
That’s why in November, I’m urging my friends, family and neighbors to vote NO on Issue 2. We cannot afford to let our kids fall through the cracks. The American Dream should belong to them, too.
—Sophia Rodriguez, high school Spanish teacher, Coldwater, Ohio
Member Resource Guide 2011
Use this guide as an overview to help you make the most of your OEA Membership. Within, you’ll learn more about:
- Ways to Become Involved
- Fighting for Public Education
- OEA Staff, Leadership, and Board of Directors
- OEA Higher Education Benefit
- Awards and Scholarships
- Valuable NEA Member Benefits and Services
Throughout our more than 150-year history, OEA members have been involved in every struggle and effort to advance the finest of America’s dreams: a quality public education for every child.
If you have additional questions, contact us at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or send us an email to: membership@ohea.org.
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
Oh Yes, We’re Social — Join the Conversation!
September 2011 Ohio Schools
- IN THIS ISSUE
- Issue 2/Senate Bill 5 is unfair, unsafe and hurts us all
- Lessons to be learned – A decade later, leadership and heroism of Flight 93 continues to offer life lessons
- Legislative update, Association news, and more
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
Oh Yes, We’re Social — Join the Conversation!