American Education Week — Keeping Students Safe & Secure
During American Education Week (Nov. 12-16, 2018), the Ohio Education Association is taking the opportunity to raise awareness of, and to help eliminate, the stigma of managing a disability or a mental illness.
[Video: Keeping Students Safe — Andrea Beeman, Special Education Paraprofessional, OEA/Maple Org. Support Team]
Each morning, millions of school children face the challenge of living with an impairment, mental illness or disability.
Conditions range from Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, drug dependency, and depression to varied spectrum disorders.
Despite their prevalence, unwarranted assumptions and avoidance by other are also, unfortunately, widespread.
Accordingly, the OEA has called upon state lawmakers to implement a comprehensive school safety strategy that includes meeting mental health needs in schools by providing appropriate supports for our students.
These strategies must not only include essential physical security issues, but also addressing mental health in our curriculum, and appropriate staffing and student support in the form of adequate numbers of counselors, nurses, social workers, and mental health specialists to ensure that all students’ needs are met.
Similarly, the OEA has recently:
- Opposed a plan to use federal funds to buy guns for teachers;
- Sponsored the 2018 National Dropout Prevention Network Conference; and,
- Advocate for programs that establish and support safe learning environments that are free of crime, drug use, and other disruptions.
To learn more about where OEA members collectively stand on the issues, click here! | #WeLoveOurESP | #AEW2018
12,631 Thank-Yous! — Happy National ESPs Day
The Ohio Education Association is extending a hearty thank-you to each of our 12,631¹ Education Support Professionals (ESPs) in recognition of National 2018 Education Support Professionals Day.
Observed annually, National ESP Day honors the contributions of school support employees.
These support professionals provide invaluable services and are essential partners in the children’s education process.
National ESP Day honors the work of school secretaries, classroom aides, cafeteria workers, maintenance workers, bus drivers and the others that help and do their part in making public schools great for every child so that they can be safe, learn, grow and achieve.
About American Education Week
National ESP Day is part of the NEA’s 97th annual American Education Week celebration, November 12-16, 2018. National ESP Day is observed on Wednesday of American Education Week. Celebrated the week prior to Thanksgiving, American Education Week began in 1921 with the NEA and the American Legion as cosponsors. The goal was to generate public awareness and support for education because of concerns over illiteracy. A year later, the U.S. Office of Education signed on, and the PTA followed in 1938. | #WeLoveOurESP | #AEW2018
