Category: Member Stories

A Little Something for the School Secretary

School secretaries rarely encounter students at their best. Students come to the office when they’re tardy, sick, injured, misbehaving, and in trouble. They ask the secretary for help when they leave their homework in Mom’s car or lose their house key. They dash through the office door when their medication has worn off and it’s time for their next dose. They are often embarrassed, uncomfortable, distressed, angry, or upset when they’re in the office.

What We’re Fighting For

Normally, the first thought about a labor dispute is that it is about salary and benefits. That really isn’t the case in Reynoldsburg. This is about what is the best learning environment for our students and giving our students, our parents, and our community the schools they deserve.

The REAL state of school funding in Ohio

I am a resident of Medina County, a parent of two children who attend public schools, a veteran, a 7th grade history teacher, and I am the proud president of the Medina City Teachers Association. It is an honor to have this opportunity to speak before you today. I am here today on behalf of educators. I am here today to talk about the real state of school funding here in Ohio. In only four years, under Governor Kasich’s “careful planning,” ONE HALF OF ONE BILLION DOLLARS — that’s EIGHT zeros — have been taken from Ohio’s public schools. These cuts have drastically affected our children.

How do you create change?

OEA members are accustomed to advocating for work condition issues, but how do we advocate for professional issues that affect you and your students such as the Third Grade Guarantee? OEA encourages you to share your experiences and efforts to create change in policy, procedure and law.

That Unfortunate Rite of Spring

Unfortunately my enjoyment of spring is not all that it should be. It’s not reduced by bad weather or a stuffy head. It’s not reduced by something that occurs naturally, like rag weed or pollen. There’s something unnatural that creeps into my life every spring, ruining my mood on perfectly good spring days. That something is standardized testing.

Low Morale Equals Early Retirement for Some

Thirty two of my colleagues will box up their personal items this June. Even though Issue 2 was defeated, the toll it has taken on teachers is evident. We get into the profession because of the noble work we can do for children, not because we consider teaching a great way to earn a buck or two. Issue 2 caused people to change the way they think about teaching. It’s a job now, not the rewarding career they used to know. They will have some cake and a few laughs, as they reminisce about the things they experienced throughout their careers. They’ll make jokes about how they never have to attend another in-service or proctor another test. It will be a bittersweet farewell in so many instances, as I consider how much my colleagues, my students and I will lose, with the departure of these exceptional educators.

Mentorvention and Student Success

Despite the attacks on public education over the past year, teachers are still as committed as ever to helping all their students succeed. Read how one teachers shows his commitment through his lessons and by forging relationships.

SB 5 threatened our ability to make a difference in students' lives

Eleven years ago I started teaching special education so that I could make a difference in the lives of the students who need it most—children with severe and multiple disabilities. I live and work in one of the state’s highest poverty per capita areas, and I wouldn’t change what I do for the world. I didn’t become a teacher to get rich; I became a teacher to serve.

Teaching middle schoolers, it was more than a job—it was a calling

After 32 years in the teaching profession, I recently retired but work hard to stay current on educational issues and practices. I loved my career teaching middle schoolers. To me, it was more than a job—it was a calling. That’s …

State tests could be one of the criteria for both “merit pay” and any salary increases

I have never wanted to be anything but a teacher. My childhood stuffed animals were regularly lined up, waiting to hear a story or learn about words or numbers. Teaching dance and music lessons in high school helped to pay …

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