Issue 2 unfairly creates two sets of rules
For more than 30 years, I have been teaching students with disabilities in an urban school district. Teaching kindergarten, in a tough school—to students with disabilities—is a difficult job, but I love it. The growth I witness in my students …
Issue 2 only continues budget cuts to our school district
People always ask me why I chose to be a teacher. I decided on this profession because I wanted to inspire students and prove to them that they can learn, despite their difficulties—just like I did. I became a teacher …
Ohioans have the chance to come together on Election Day
For more than 20 years, I have been teaching chemistry and promoting science education to a generation of young minds. I did not come into the world of public education expecting to get rich. In fact, I left a lucrative …
Collective bargaining is democracy for educators!
Debate is good—it often yields innovation. Debate is the cornerstone of an educated modern society. Collective bargaining is just that—a debate. Collective bargaining allows educators to have a discussion about what we need to help ensure that our students are …
Unsafe for Special Needs Students
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. 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.
Shared Responsibility and Fairness
Educators step up to do their part by providing the stable, nurturing, inspiring environment that makes it possible to reach each student individually. 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, but some Columbus politicians think they’re excused from the kinds of sacrifices we’ve all had to make. 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.
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. My current salary is just under $20,000 a year, which has grown only a measly amount since I started as a school food service worker nearly three decades ago. Falling under the federal poverty level, my annual salary is so low that it ironically qualifies me for food stamps.
Banned Books Week: Celebrate the Right to Read
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, …
More Than Just a History Lesson
Many of our students do not know life as it was before 9/11. September 11th is a day that they’ve heard about but neither remember nor fully understand. 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.
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 …
