OEA Leaders Working to Shape State, Federal COVID-19 Response Policies
On Wednesday afternoon, OEA President Scott DiMauro delivered a statement to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine on the need to prioritize teachers and other education employees as allocation plans for the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine are made. OEA Vice President Jeff Wensing testified before Ohio lawmakers Wednesday in support of proposed changes to the state’s education laws in response to COVID-19.
“As the school year begins our students and educators are facing many challenges. Whether classes are in-person, online or a combination of the two, it is unlike any year that came before. Recognizing this, Senate Bill 358 (SB 358) would extend flexibility in several areas,” Vice President Wensing told Senate Education Committee members. Click here for Wensing’s full statement
OEA applauds calls in SB 358 to require the Ohio Department of Education to seek a federal waiver of testing requirements and suspend the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, some high school end-of-course exams, and the fall administration of the 3rd grade ELA test. OEA also supports the provision of SB 358 allowing local flexibility on teacher evaluations and urges lawmakers to amend the bill to extend the House Bill 164 prohibition on using student growth data in teacher evaluations through the 2021-22 school year. SB 358’s suspension of school and district report card ratings for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years is wholeheartedly welcomed by OEA.
“Due to COVID-19, school districts will continue to experience barriers to education service delivery and instability in student data (particularly in districts with high concentrations of poverty). It would be misleading and unfair to require report card grades or punitive measures based on report card data during this time,” Wensing said. “Further, OEA continues to urge legislators to overhaul Ohio’s broken report card system. Now is the time to act with urgency so we don’t go back to using a report card widely regarded as fundamentally flawed.”
While Ohio lawmakers debate measures to address the educational challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, national leaders are making decisions about distributing COVID-19 vaccines when they become available. Speaking on behalf of the National Education Association and its 3 million members, OEA President DiMauro urged the National Academy of Sciences to place all education employees in a higher tier of prioritization to receive vaccines. The current draft framework would place teachers in Phase 2 of the plan to equitably allocate vaccines, but DiMauro encouraged Academy members to include teachers, paraeducators and other education support professionals, specialized instructional support personnel, librarians, administrators, and higher education faculty and staff in Phase 1b, in recognition of the crucial role educational institutions play and the underlying vulnerabilities of many of the employees who work in them.
“Nothing is more important than ensuring that we return to safe and equitable in-person instruction,” DiMauro said. “It is crucial for any vaccination plan to incorporate the voices of front-line workers, including educators.”
OEA Endorses Jennifer Brunner and John O’Donnell for Ohio Supreme Court
“Ohio’s next Supreme Court justices are likely to make important decisions that will impact public education in Ohio,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “OEA believes Ohio students and educators would be well-served by having Jennifer Brunner and John O’Donnell on the state’s highest court.”
Brunner, a former Ohio Secretary of State, has decades of legal experience in private practice and on the bench as both a state trial court judge and as a Tenth District Court of Appeals judge, where she wrote a dissenting opinion concerning the law (HB 70) that allows the state through an appointed “CEO” to decide when and how to take over troubled school districts. She urged that this law was unconstitutionally adopted and has the potential for irreparable harm to students, the teachers who teach them and Youngstown City School District. Judge Brunner said in her decision, “stability is prudent in protecting the educational interests” of students and the teachers who teach them in communities such as Youngstown.
“Judge Brunner’s clearly articulated position on the HB 70 question was heartening to OEA,” DiMauro said. “It’s one of many reasons why we look forward to having her on the Supreme Court.”
OEA believes Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge John O’Donnell will also be a strong ally for quality public education if elected to the Ohio Supreme Court. Furthermore, he is committed to upholding a fair redistricting process when new legislative and political boundaries are drawn.
“Redistricting could be a contentious issue in Ohio,” said DiMauro, “and if legal challenges arise, the composition of the Supreme Court will be key to ensuring that Ohio’s voters will have a fair shake in deciding who should represent them in the legislature and in Congress, regardless of what neighborhood they call home.”
Education is a critical issue for Ohio’s voters. A recent statewide survey by Lake Research Partners found that 47 percent of independent voters say electing Supreme Court Justices who will ensure that Ohio politicians meet their obligations to support a strong system of public education, no matter what zip code a child may live in, is extremely important.
OEA Applauds Governor’s Mask Order for Hot-Spot Counties
“The health and safety of students, educators, education support professionals, and the wider community must be the top priorities for any school reopening plans. For schools in the seven “hot-spot” counties where the risk of spreading the virus is greatest, requiring everyone – students and staff – to wear masks could save lives,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro.
Initial guidance from the governor’s office to shape reopening plans had encouraged students to wear masks, but they would not have been required. The new order from the governor strengthens the directive from the state.
“The evidence from public health experts makes clear that masks are, absent a vaccine, the best method we have so far to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Masks have been shown to help protect the people around an infected person from coming into contact with virus-laden respiratory droplets, which can disperse even when that person shows no symptoms,” DiMauro said. “After urging the governor to provide stronger enforcement of his school reopening guidelines, OEA is heartened to see him take this common-sense measure.”
As school districts around the state continue to develop their plans for how to safely reopen schools in the fall, OEA urges local officials to work collaboratively with educators on the policies and procedures that will best serve students.
OEA Urges Greater Accountability in Reopening Plans for Schools
“OEA understands and respects the long-standing adherence to local control in decision-making around public education, but the state also has a critical role to play amidst an unprecedented public health crisis and a rising number of cases of COVID-19,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “While we appreciate the consideration given to the importance of social distancing, health checks, and sanitation protocols in the Governor’s plan, it lacks a means of enforcement, even when a county is in the highest tier of the alert system.”
“Parents need to feel confident that schools are safe for their students to return to if we have any hope of successfully reopening the economy. They should not have to choose between their students’ health and their academic success,” DiMauro said. “A good number of Ohio’s educators are in the highest-risk group for severe complications from COVID-19. They should not have to choose between their livelihood and their health.”
OEA believes that it is more important than ever that educators have a seat at the table in local decisions, and to allow creative problem-solving through the collective bargaining process.
“We must ensure educators’ voices are heard in every school district as plans are developed to ensure a safe, successful school year,” DiMauro said. “We must also ensure resources are in place to implement critical safety measures. Federal lawmakers must step up and provide the needed funding for schools across Ohio.”
The U.S. House-passed HEROES Act would provide some of that education funding, but the Senate has failed to take up that bill for consideration. “We urge Sen. Rob Portman and his colleagues to act now on behalf of Ohio’s students,” DiMauro said.
Ohio Education Association Supports State Resolutions Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis
“Racism hurts people of color in all aspects of their lives, including educational outcomes,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “Historic ‘redlining’ in many communities and systemic inequality put people of color at tremendous disadvantages. The deep-seated problems that have been exposed through a pandemic that adversely impacts communities of color and the recent incidents of police violence heighten the urgent need to address these issues.”
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the effects of COVID-19 found a “disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups.”
OEA recognizes the important role educators can play in addressing racial and economic inequities. “We can and should be confronting these issues head-on in our classrooms to expand Ohioans’ understanding of how racism affects individuals in our communities,” DiMauro said.
“Our teachers and education support professionals see first-hand every day how their students’ lives have been shaped by racism in our society,” DiMauro said, noting that Ohio’s schools play a critical role in providing health and nutrition services. “Where you were born and what you look like should not determine whether you can get access to high-quality education and adequate educational resources.”
According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 32 percent of African-American children in the U.S. live in poverty. There is ample evidence that poorer children tend to enter school with a readiness gap due to fewer community and family resources. That gap can be exacerbated in under-resourced classrooms, resulting in higher dropout rates. In the 2016-2017 school year, the graduation rate for black students in Ohio was 69 percent, while it was 88 percent for white students, according to an NCES report. The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies’ 2019 State of Poverty report found that Ohioans without a high school diploma or GED are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than those who have finished high school.
In addition to the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of color, educational inequities have been further illuminated and exacerbated by distance learning in the face of the ongoing pandemic. There is a clear link between race, poverty, and health and OEA is committed to addressing these issues while promoting measures that set up all students for lifelong success.
“Our students deserve better,” said DiMauro, “and OEA believes recognizing racism as a public health crisis and creating a working group to address this issue are important first steps.”
Senate Bill 319 Would Provide Troubling Furlough Authority to School Districts
While the bill includes some positive provisions on teacher evaluations, high school graduation, and services to special needs students, OEA opposes a provision in the bill that would provide greater furlough authority to school districts and ESC boards through June 30, 2021.
We urge you to take action as an advocate for children and public education.
Please send a quick message to your state Senator asking him or her to support our students and schools by removing the furlough provision from SB 319.
Ohio Education Association Stands in Solidarity with Protestors Demanding an End to Systemic Racism and Brutality in wake of George Floyd’s Death
“George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer was horrific, and not merely an example of some ‘bad apple’ who should be prosecuted for murder, but symptomatic of a system that perpetuates brutality against people of color,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “We all share a responsibility to break the cycle of violence and systemic racism.”
OEA supports its members and their students who are expressing themselves through peaceful protests and adding their voices to the important national conversation about race and inequality sparked by Floyd’s death. “We have a unique responsibility as educators to fight against injustice,” DiMauro said. “Public schools are the place where we can learn to discuss issues without the fear of violence. The education system can help bring people together.”
The closing of schools that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed inequities in American society that are also symptomatic of the country’s racial disparities. “Only by addressing these deep-seated issues head-on can we ensure that all students are positioned for success, regardless of where they live or what they look like,” DiMauro said.
OEA calls on police forces to exercise restraint in their response to protestors who are working to bring about needed changes. “We need trauma-informed care, not suppression of mostly young activists,” DiMauro said. “We are saddened by how divided our communities are right now and by the destruction we’ve seen, but more than anything, we are saddened and outraged by what has caused this situation – a system that has disadvantaged and disenfranchised people of color in our country.”
“To those who have chosen to exploit this situation to sow destruction and provoke divisiveness in communities that are hurting, we say ‘shame on you’. To those who are non-violently protesting injustices and fighting to shape necessary reforms, OEA stands with you in solidarity,” DiMauro said.
In Senate Testimony, Ohio Education Association Urges Lawmakers to Prioritize Health and Safety in School Re-Opening Plans
“Schools will and should reopen when public health standards can be met. When that happens, we look forward to welcoming our students to a more equitable, safe and dynamic learning environment that meets the promise of public education that all students, parents, families and educators deserve,” DiMauro said.
DiMauro’s full testimony is available for reading at this link.
OEA has also provided advice to the Ohio Department of Education to help craft plans to safely re-open schools. OEA believes any decision on re-opening schools next year must be driven by guidance from public health officials, and any plan should include input from educators through local collective bargaining agreements and should provide flexibility to meet the needs of local school districts.
OEA represents 122,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
Ohio Education Association Vows to Continue Fight Against Ill-Conceived State Takeover Law in Wake of Supreme Court Decision
OEA members will continue to seek a legislative remedy to the fatally-flawed state takeover law.
“House Bill 70 was short-sighted and wrong,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “A long-term solution is needed to address the ongoing problems plaguing struggling schools.”
“Local educators and school board members are in the best position to guide reforms to improve student outcomes, not state-appointed commissions and unelected CEOs,” DiMauro said.
OEA supported the passage of House Bill 154 which would have restored local control to elected school boards while holding school districts accountable by requiring school improvement teams in F-rated school buildings. “We will continue to work with like-minded legislators of both parties to renew the push for the Ohio General Assembly to act in the best interest of our students and repeal the state takeover law,” DiMauro said.
The Supreme Court decision consents to a rushed legislative process that allowed a secretly negotiated state takeover proposal to be passed and signed into law in a single day, but it is not a decision on the merits of the law itself.
“HB 70 has been a disaster for local communities,” DiMauro said. “Simply put: the law didn’t work. The loss of local control in Youngstown, Lorain, and East Cleveland schools has not helped the students in those districts.”
OEA stands ready to work with the Ohio General Assembly to fix the state takeover mess by passing legislation to return local control, alleviate barriers to learning caused by poverty, and fix Ohio’s broken report card system.
“Student performance is not improved by punishing districts that face the greatest challenges,” DiMauro said. “Students are only served well by giving those districts the resources they need and giving local educators a seat at the table with their collective bargaining rights secured.”
OEA represents 122,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
Action Alert: Ohio Education Association Urges Members to Call on Congress to Provide Critical Funding for Schools
“Communities across the country are hurting. More than a million Ohioans are out of work. We know lawmakers at every level have to make very difficult choices, but education must remain a priority and Congress must act now,” OEA President Scott DiMauro said.
The financial plight of Ohio’s schools has garnered national attention and DiMauro has been asked to speak on a national telephone town hall, sponsored by the National Education Association, on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 7 p.m. with NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia, CA Senator Kamala Harris and CT Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, a former national teacher of the year. The event is intended to mobilize the nation’s educators to contact Congress.
Anyone who wishes to participate can register for the event at nea.org/actiontownhall.
OEA members are calling on Congress to earmark $175 billion for education in the next federal coronavirus relief package to help mitigate the harm to students caused by budget cuts at the state and local levels. That funding is urgently needed in Ohio, particularly in the wake of Governor DeWine’s intention to cut $465 million in education funding in the current fiscal year which ends in June.
“Teachers have been heroic in their efforts to engage and educate their students while schools are closed, but there are tremendous challenges,” DiMauro said. “Many families don’t have internet access or enough devices for their children; many parents can’t help their children through the school day because they are frontline workers who must be out of the home. The challenges are especially great in the state’s poorer school districts,” he explained.
The OEA, Ohio’s largest teachers’ union, has been in touch with the offices of Ohio Senators Brown and Portman to urge their support for federal action. “Only the federal government has the resources to stabilize education funding in the country right now. Our federal lawmakers have a duty to provide the funding our kids need,” DiMauro said.
OEA members can contact their representatives in Congress at https://www.ohea.org/actions/action-alert-april-14/
OEA represents 122,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.