Ohio Education Association Anticipating Release of Full Budget Details, Urges State Lawmakers to Ensure Education Funding is Top Priority
“The devil is always in the details,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “Education spending must be a top priority in Ohio to ensure our students, educators, and communities receive the resources they need to succeed. OEA will closely examine the full budget proposal as soon as possible and will continue advocating tirelessly for Ohio’s 1.7 million public school kids.”
Based on the initial, high-level budget document released by the governor on Monday, OEA is encouraged to see an emphasis on expanding broadband access to help close the digital divide for students and on wraparound services like mental health programs in schools. However, OEA is deeply disappointed in the governor’s refusal to draw on the $2.7 billion rainy day fund or to address the state’s unconstitutional school funding formula in his budget plan.
“The Fair School Funding Plan, which received overwhelming bi-partisan support in the House at the end of the last term, represented years of work and compromise to finally deliver an equitable and constitutional funding system. DeWine punted, rather than delivering on the promise of that legislation,” DiMauro said. “The governor’s budget looks like it will fall far short of what this moment in history requires, especially for students in high-poverty or high-minority school districts.”
“The funding increase the Fair Funding plan calls for is more than affordable, since the state is projecting a $1.3 billion revenue increase over the next two years alone and the plan calls for a $1.9 billion increase over 6 years,” DiMauro added. “We look forward to working with the legislature on addressing this with the Fair School Funding plan in the current legislative session, as well as tackling all of the work that needs done in the coming months as the budget debates continue.”
Ohio Education Association Offering State Budget Basics Workshops for Members
OEA is offering two virtual sessions for Members in early February, following the release of Governor Mike DeWine’s executive budget proposal and the district-by-district breakdown of the budget numbers. Please register with one of the following links: (Registration is now closed)
Wednesday, February 10, at 6 p.m.
Friday, February 12, at 12 p.m.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar of your choice. Questions may be submitted during the session via the chat function on Zoom. Separate sessions will also be offered for members of the media that week.
“Whether this is your first time going through Ohio’s budget debates or you’ve been watching the process unfold for years, we can all benefit from some basic lessons on how it all works, and more importantly, what it all means for Ohio’s 1.7 million students,” said Stephen Dyer, OEA Director of Government Relations, Communications & Marketing, who will be leading the upcoming workshops.
Dyer is a former Ohio State Representative and reporter, who has been a senior lecturer at the University of Akron since 2013. His experience in all those arenas make him uniquely suited to teach others about the state budget, providing critical context for educators who are so intimately impacted by it.
“Ohio’s students, K-12 teachers, education support professionals, and higher ed faculty cannot afford another budget deal that fails to provide adequate resources to our schools, colleges, and universities. Ohio’s leaders must deliver a fair spending plan that finally addresses the state’s unconstitutional school funding formula,” Dyer said. “When informed constituents can hold lawmakers accountable through the budget process, all Ohioans win.”
OEA members can watch a recording of the Wednesday, Feb. 10 workshop on the following page: State Budget Basic Workshop recording (this page is accessible by members-only)
OEA Seeks Answers About State Bd. of Ed. Member’s Role in Jan. 6 Events
“I was deeply disturbed to learn that a member of the State Board of Education may have had any hand in organizing the rally aimed at overturning legitimate election results. The actions of the insurrectionists and militants who attended the rally and who attacked our country that day are reprehensible and inexcusable, and we are calling on Kirsten Hill to denounce those fellow-rally attendees in the strongest terms,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro.
Hill, who represents District 2 on the State Board of Education, is chairwoman of the Lorain County TEA Party, which arranged a bus trip from Elyria to Washington D.C. on January 6th to attend a political rally hosted by the President. The event posting claimed “Folks from around the world are counting on U.S. to get Trump re-elected… We’re fighting for Trump to the bitter end,” and directed site goers to WildProtest.com with branding like #DoNotCertify and #StopTheSteal. Hill was listed as the coordinator for the Elyria-based contingent on other websites urging Ohioans to go to D.C. for the event. As has been widely reported, the January 6th rally ended with a group of militants storming the Capital Building, resulting in a Capitol Police officer being beaten to death and the death of four rioters.
“Hill is responsible for the future of 1.7 million children who attend Ohio schools. Those students are watching now,” DiMauro said. “We all deserve answers about exactly what Hill’s intent was in arranging and attending the January 6th event that in itself was an assault on the democratic principles of our nation, even before turning violent.”
“As a social studies teacher, I have spent my career teaching the importance of our sacred democratic processes, including the peaceful transition of power and the integrity of U.S. elections. One of the core values of OEA is our belief in our democracy,” DiMauro added. “We cannot stand for any attempt to undermine our republic, especially by a person who was elected to serve its citizens. We must ensure this is a country where our leaders reflect the very best of every kind of American, and where liberty and justice are for all, no exceptions.”