Unsafe for Special Needs Students
My whole life has been dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those with developmental, emotional and/or physical challenges. For 25 years, I have taught students who not only have been diagnosed as having a learning disability, but who also have major medical needs. 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. It’s a huge responsibility, which is why I’m glad I don’t have to do it alone-I’m part of a team of teachers and education support professionals, like teacher’s aides, school nurses and other employees. We’re a family that is working together to do what’s best for special needs students.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, my school district laid off staff. These cuts have hurt my students because some of the educational aides lost their jobs. I depend heavily on my aides to help me maintain a safe learning environment for my students.
My colleagues and I have been asked to make significant sacrifices, yet Columbus politicians have handed out millions of dollars in tax breaks to their corporate campaign contributors. Slashing funding to schools, especially special education programs, resulting in less staff to take care of our most vulnerable students, is not just wrong—it could result in unsafe conditions.
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.
—Gretchen Washington, special education teacher, Springdale
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.
Working in the school cafeteria, I recognize if my kids aren’t learning because they’re hungry. If my students aren’t eating their vegetables, I know it. I also keep a watchful eye on students who suffer from diabetes or have dietary restrictions. From the time the bell rings in the morning, to when school lets out, I’m their mom.
Not only do I serve as head cook at Prospect Elementary School in Mansfield, I’m also a mother of five children.
We need to rebuild the American Dream and Ohio’s middle class, but Issue 2 works to dismantle it. Issue 2 is unfair, unsafe and hurts my students and working families like mine, that are just trying to make ends meet.
If Issue 2 passes, I won’t be able to help my students get what they need to succeed—and that’s just wrong. That’s why on November 8, I’m serving up a big helping of NO on Issue 2.
—Tina Adams, food service worker, Mansfield, Ohio
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 vividly remember that day my mother received her GED—I was in the eighth grade and my father, who didn’t have the opportunity to finish school, reminded us that education was the key to a better future.
Now I’m a classroom teacher. For more than two decades I have dedicated my life to education, and to creating opportunities for my students so they can help strengthen their own families and communities.
But I can’t do it alone.
Every year I return to the classroom, I see the changes. There’s no funding for field trips or money to buy new books. We’ve scaled back on staff and services. Students are clamoring to compete in a global society, but we can’t improve out-of-date technology or replace antiquated computers. For my students, the American dream is becoming more and more out-of-reach. And that’s simply not fair.
That’s why in November, I’m urging my friends, family and neighbors to vote NO on Issue 2. We cannot afford to let our kids fall through the cracks. The American Dream should belong to them, too.
—Sophia Rodriguez, high school Spanish teacher, Coldwater, Ohio
School Nurse: Safety At Risk
In the 21 years that I have been a school nurse, I’ve seen it all. From treating students with strep throat to comforting children who are coping with mental illness, I have devoted my life to helping kids. That’s why I have very real fears that Issue 2 will put students at risk. We need school nurses and support professionals who really know our students, not contract workers hired because that’s cheaper.
Unfortunately, I’ve had a preview of what could happen if we don’t defeat Issue 2 on the November ballot.
I have known of educators in other states who have lost collective bargaining rights. As a result, they now are facing a very different reality. In some cases they are confronting skyrocketing insurance deductibles, decreased preparation time, longer work days without additional pay and extra duties when substitutes are not utilized. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Sadly, all these take-backs will ultimately affect student learning, safety and success.
Here in Ohio, we have an opportunity to right a wrong. Along with tens of thousands of other OEA members, I rallied against Senate Bill 5. After the Legislature refused to listen to us, I worked with colleagues to gather petition signatures so that we could get a measure to repeal Senate Bill 5 on the November ballot. By voting No on Issue 2, we’re repealing Senate Bill 5. We’ve come so far, and we can’t stop now.
That’s why I am getting my friends, family and neighbors involved, and urging everyone I know to vote No on Issue 2. Together, we have the power to make a difference for our students, our colleagues and our communities.
—Monica Whitty, RN, school nurse, Dayton, Ohio