You Cannot Silence the Voice of Working People
Teaching children is pretty wonderful.
This has been my passion and in the 19 years that I taught, I learned from and have been inspired by my colleagues. I have also been moved by the actions of fellow union members who fought for better wages and safe working conditions.
The energy we are seeing with teachers standing up in the neighboring states of West Virginia and Kentucky and elsewhere as the #RedForEd movement spreads across the country is unparalleled in recent history. Public opinion is with us. A recent poll found that 62% of Americans believe the country is better off with stronger unions.
Yet, while this happening, amid the highest level of support for unions in 15 years, the US Supreme Court in a narrow 5-4, politically-motivated decision ruled that unions – specifically public employee unions — should be weaker. The Supreme Court ruled in the case of Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31 to further tilt the playing field in favor of the wealthy and corporate interests.
The court overturned 40 years of precedent in deciding that requiring so-called fair-share fees to be paid by people who choose not to join a public-sector union but who enjoy the benefits of union representation somehow violates the First Amendment of the Constitution. This doesn’t make sense, and it’s not right.
It also doesn’t make sense that so many people are finding it difficult to get by and provide for their families, no matter how hard they work. It doesn’t make sense that people are more productive than ever, but they’re working longer hours for less money and fewer benefits. And it doesn’t make sense that all this is going on while a handful of very wealthy people have seen their salaries and holdings skyrocket. It is shameful that the wealthy special interests behind the Janus case have succeeded in manipulating the highest court in the land to do their bidding.
"I believe deeply in the power of our collective voice to make sure that every teacher and student has the resources they need to be successful."
I believe deeply in the power of our collective voice to make sure that every teacher and student has the resources they need to be successful. When unions negotiate for working conditions in the classroom, they also negotiate for the conditions in which our children learn. When our unions advocate for us as educators, they also advocate for the students we serve.
Public service workers-teachers, social workers, firefighters, and nurses are more determined than ever to stick together in their unions. Unions remain the most effective vehicle for the power in numbers needed for working people to secure their rights and freedoms, and they provide a pathway to the middle class.
The truth is, when unions are strong, the entire community benefits. Unions use their collective voice to advocate for policies that help all working people — like increases to the minimum wage, affordable health care and great public schools.
Unions help close the pay gap for women and communities of color who have been systematically disadvantaged due to discrimination and prejudice.
African-American women in unions earn an average of $21.90 per hour, while non-union women earn $17.04. When Latinos are members of a union, their median weekly income increases by more than 38 percent.
The wealthy special interests that have benefited from an unfair, unbalanced playing field are now intent on tilting that playing field even more by attacking public-sector unions.
It’s driven by ideological extremists who oppose our basic right to organize. And it’s an attack on more than the men and women who are teachers and custodians and first responders; it’s an attack on anyone who wants to use their voice to fight for something better for their communities.
I have dedicated my life both to helping students and fighting for my community and I won’t back down.
My fellow educators and I are going to continue to speak out and I ask those who feel the same, please join us. Because no great social change — from ending slavery to securing the right to vote for every citizen, to winning the freedom to organize — has been achieved by standing alone.
Becky Higgins
President
Ohio Education Association
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Stand Strong for Public Education…Together, We Can!
Janus v. AFSCME?
Through our union, we advocate for what our students deserve and for what educators need to do our jobs well. However, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely issue a decision in the case this week that could threaten our collective voice. Janus v. AFSCME is a politically motivated attack to use the U.S. Supreme Court to divide and conquer our union by eliminating the fair share fee.
Why Does It Matter
Janus v. AFSCME is part of a concerted effort to weaken our ability to advocate for our students and members. Negotiating collectively improves the lives of all working people—even those who are not union members themselves—because strong unions set pay and benefit standards that non-union employers follow. This means stronger communities. At its core, the Janus case is about working people’s freedom to make a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities.
What Are We Doing About It?
Together, we are continuing the fight for strong public schools by strengthening our locals and demonstrating value and relevance to our members. | #OEAstrong
Download the Strong OEA = Strong Public Schools fact card for additional details about Janus v. AFSCME.
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Updated June 4, 2018
Ohio Education Association Endorses Cordray for Governor
The Ohio Education Association (OEA) Fund for Children and Public Education (FCPE) has unanimously endorsed Richard Cordray (D) for Governor of Ohio. The vote was taken at an FCPE convention on Saturday, May 19, 2018, in Columbus.
“Richard Cordray displayed an impressive understanding of the key issues that Ohio’s next Governor will face – from the need to invest more in the state’s public schools and less in poor-performing charter schools. He also understands the need to halt the over-reliance on standardized tests to measure student growth and to evaluate teacher performance,” said OEA President Becky Higgins. “He inspired our members with his commitment to make public education a top priority and to enhance universal pre-K programs that will set Ohio’s children on the path to success.”
The OEA FCPE State Council, comprised of elected OEA members from throughout Ohio carefully screens candidates based on their voting records, their stated support of public education and the OEA’s priority issues. The Republican candidate for Governor, Attorney General Mike DeWine, was invited to participate but declined to attend.
“We believe Richard Cordray has the leadership skills to address the many challenges the state will face in the years ahead,” said Higgins. “Educators, students, parents and all Ohioans will be well-served by his election.”
The Ohio Education Association represents 125,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges, and universities.
Ohio Education Association elects new Secretary-Treasurer
Immediate Release
(Columbus) – On Friday, May 11, Mark Hill of the Worthington Education Association, was elected Secretary-Treasurer of Ohio’s largest association of public employees, the Ohio Education Association (OEA).
Hill was elected by OEA’s Representative Assembly, the governing body of the organization. The Representative Assembly is comprised of more than 1,100 elected delegates from local education associations throughout Ohio. Hill will serve a three-year term beginning July 15, 2018. He replaces outgoing Secretary-Treasurer Tim Myers who is term-limited.
Hill is a 30-year middle school math teacher with Worthington City Schools. He has served since 2010 as President of the Worthington Education Association and has been a member of the bargaining team for four contracts. Mark has served as Chair of the Political Action and Finance Committees for Central OEA/NEA and as Chair of the OEA Resolutions Committee. Mark is currently a member of the OEA Board of Directors and is the Chair of the Strategic Priorities Oversight Committee. Mark has served on the board of the State Teachers Retirement System since 2010.
The Ohio Education Association represents 125,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
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OEA Says ECOT Students Will be Welcomed in Local Public Schools
The President of the Ohio Education Association, Becky Higgins, said today that parents who are disappointed by the closing of the state’s largest online charter school, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, should consider their local public schools as a viable option for their children.
“I think parents will find a hospitable environment in local public schools,” said Higgins, “where students are taught by dedicated professionals who care deeply about serving the educational needs of the children in their classrooms. Local public schools provide a stimulating experience for students where they are given every opportunity to reach their full potential. OEA encourages ECOT parents to take a look for themselves.”
The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 124,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities
Follow OEA @OhioEA on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.
December 2017 Ohio Schools
- IN THIS ISSUE
- In Wellston, climate science lessons offer a learning opportunity for educators, students and the community
- OEA locals help elect 84 pro-public education candidates
- OEA locals help elect 84 pro-public education candidates
- Portage County EA DD members return to work following 50-day strike
- the OEA Advocacy & Organizing Institute
- schools prepare for loss of federal funding for children’s health coverage, and more
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
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October 2017 Ohio Schools
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- IN THIS ISSUE
- Supreme Court agrees to hear case that could take away freedom of working people to join together in strong unions
- Ohio Civil Rights Commission Rights Seeks Nominations
- 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year Jonathan Juravich
- teaching post-Charlottesville, analysis of Ohio’s School Report Cards, and more
- IN THIS ISSUE
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
Oh Yes, We’re Social — Join the Conversation!
OEA Charles A. Glatt — Human and Civil Rights Award
The Ohio Education Association recognizes achievements in human relations and related intercultural activities that impact children, communities, the educational process, and/or the United Education Profession by presenting the OEA Charles A. Glatt — Human and Civil Rights Award.
Dr. Charles A. Glatt was a professor of education at The Ohio State University specializing in human relations, affirmative action, and desegregation. He served as a presenter for many OEA workshops. On September 19, 1975, Dr. Glatt was shot and killed by an assassin while working on the desegregation plan in Dayton Public Schools.
This “Special Friend” Award symbolizes the commitment Charles Glatt had to humanity as well as the equality of educational opportunity for all.
The online nomination form must be completed in a single session, as you will not be able to save and return to it at a later time without starting over. In addition, it must be received on or before February 29, 2024. Late applications will not be considered.
TIP: Consider using this nomination worksheet as a guide prior to completing the online form. This guide can not be submitted in lieu of the online nomination form.
Please click here to see the rubric that the OEA Awards Committee will use to evaluate each submission.
→ Back to the Scholarships, Grants & Awards Home Page
Medicaid keeps many Ohio public school students healthy
by Becky Higgins, OEA President
They have books, pencils and a backpack. But will Ohio’s public school students continue to have health care? Maybe or maybe not. It depends on what Congress and the President decide to do about Medicaid.
About 40 percent of Ohio children receive their health coverage from Medicaid. And in some Ohio school districts, that percentage is even higher. In the Dayton City Schools, 71.7 percent of students are on Medicaid. In Youngstown, 80.5 percent of students are enrolled in Medicaid. In Cleveland, it’s 72.7 percent.
Countless studies have shown that children who have access to regular, consistent health care do better in school. Medicaid is critical to ensuring that Ohio’s public school students have quality health care. Children who receive health care through Medicaid are more likely to graduate from high school, finish college, have fewer hospitalizations and enjoy better health as adults. Children who have Medicaid are less likely to drop out of school, engage in risky sexual activity, smoke, or be overweight. And Medicaid gives struggling families the security of knowing that their household budgets.
No child should be without health coverage and access to needed health care. Medicaid makes that possible in Ohio.
Medicaid is a lifeline that keeps a majority of children healthy in many Ohio counties. Medicaid improves academic performance and attendance. It helps ensure that children receive timely and appropriate care, and can help address behavioral issues including the impact of trauma that poses challenges to the proper learning environment.
In the 1980s and 1990s, researchers studied a group of students to determine the long-term effects of healthcare coverage on education. They found that a 10 percent increase in Medicaid eligibility for kids up to the age of 17 led to a smaller high school dropout rate, greater enrollment in college and a higher percentage who earned a four-year college degree.
Medicaid coverage not only improves children’s health and educational attainment it also enhances their earnings potential. People covered by Medicaid during childhood are healthier adults, with fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits and higher incomes as adults, studies shows.
And while many districts struggle with financial challenges, Medicaid contributes more than $80 million to Ohio’s public schools to pay for needed services for students with disabilities. These are services that schools are required to provide and Medicaid offers a reliable funding stream to help pay for them.
The bottom line is that Ohio schools and taxpayers win when children in Ohio have Medicaid. In this time of uncertainty about what Congress and the President might do to change Medicaid, it is important that Ohioans let their representatives in Washington know that Medicaid should be protected.
Educators recommend Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate
COLUMBUS – October 6, 2017 – The National Education Association’s political action committee, the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education, and the Ohio Education Association’s Fund for Children and Public Education (FCPE) have endorsed Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate.
“Sherrod Brown is a proven champion of sound education policies and he has richly earned the endorsement of Ohio educators,” said OEA President Becky Higgins. “He understands that building the foundation of a strong economy starts in our public schools, and he is committed to ensuring that every child has access to a quality education. We look forward to his continued service in the US Senate where we are confident that he will serve the best interests of educators and students.”
The NEA Fund made the endorsement on the recommendation of OEA’s FCPE State Council which met last Saturday, September 30th in Columbus to interview US Senate candidates. The NEA Fund, a federal political action committee, provides financial support to pro-public education candidates without regard to their party affiliation.
The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 125,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities
Follow OEA @OhioEA on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.