OEA applauds Governor’s vetoes of cap on Medicaid expansion and charter school measures, but is disappointed by other actions
COLUMBUS – July 1, 2017 – “The legislature’s attempt to put a cap on Medicaid expansion would have had a profoundly negative impact on our students and their families,” said Becky Higgins, President of the Ohio Education Association (OEA). “We strongly support the Governor’s veto of this provision. We urge House and Senate lawmakers to oppose any effort to override this veto. Jeopardizing access to health care for 500,000 Ohioans is unacceptable.”
“We also thank the Governor for holding firm on charter school accountability by vetoing provisions that would have weakened standards for charter school sponsors,” said Higgins.
“At the same time, we are disappointed that the Governor and legislature missed an opportunity to improve the Resident Educator program by eliminating the Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA),” Higgins added, “but we appreciate the maintenance of mentoring support for new educators.”
“Lastly, it is unfortunate that the Governor chose to veto the paper testing option for local school districts,” said Higgins. “Without this option, some students will be measured not only by their command of the subject on which they are being tested, but also by their ability to master technology in which they are not always proficient.”
The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 123,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities
Follow OEA @OhioEA on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Statement from the Ohio Education Association on the House budget
COLUMBUS – April 25, 2017 – “We appreciate the addition of $90 million in education funding in the House budget given the tight revenue situation, and we are glad the House listened to the voices of educators and removed the unnecessary and unworkable teacher ‘externship’ proposal,” said OEA President Becky Higgins. “We look forward to continuing to work with members of the House and Senate to ensure equitable and adequate funding for all students, no matter their zip code or family income.”
“We also encourage the House and Senate to address Ohio’s looming graduation crisis by incorporating the recommendations of the Graduation Requirements Work Group and State Board of Education in the budget.”
The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 123,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities
Follow OEA @OhioEA on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.
April 2017 Ohio Schools
- IN THIS ISSUE
- Lancaster educators advocate for student success by making sure kids have breakfast at school
- Huron County locals join together to host a booth at the fair to connect with the community, each other, and to support public education
- Legislative update, Association news, 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
Oh Yes, We’re Social — Join the Conversation!
February 2017 Ohio Schools
- IN THIS ISSUE
- Sylvania EA’s story of community collaboration
- Coverage of the OEA 2017 Advocacy and Organizing Institute, and a look at opposition to Betsy DeVos
- OEA President Becky Higgins’ message; Ohio’s national education rankings; Legislative update, Association news, 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
Oh Yes, We’re Social — Join the Conversation!
December 2016 Ohio Schools
- IN THIS ISSUE
- stories of Ohio educators working together to improve student health and achievement, celebrate diversity, and build professional connections
- Know Your Charter report finds local taxpayers have subsidized charter schools at a cost of more than $1 billion since 2012
- OEA members provide valuable input on federal Every Student Succeeds Act
- Educators focus on ways to support GLBT youth at OEA GLBT Issues Conference
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-R Advisory Council
OEA-R Advisory Council Leads Activities
In Ohio, members of the OEA-R Advisory Council guide a group of thousands of retirees. They are among the most active in the work of the Ohio Education Association – whether in support of political activity, professional development or advocacy to preserve economic security and retirement benefits.
Membership in OEA-Retired offers the opportunity for retired educators to keep informed about education and retirement issues, and to continue to be involved in OEA and NEA activities at the level the individual chooses.
The members of OEA-R Advisory Council elect by ballot are: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, 10 district representatives, an ESP representative, a higher education representative, an at-large representative and a representative to the OEA Board of Directors. This group, along with a newsletter editor and a representative to the Fund for Children and Public Education, direct the activities of OEA-Retired.
One of the main objectives of the organization is to promote district retirement organizations so that members can participate in programs closer to home.
Retired members also elect members to represent them at the OEA Representative Assembly and the NEA Representative Assembly.
OEA-R activities each year include a fall conference in Columbus and a spring conference held in one of the five OEA regions.
Inter-Generational Mentoring
The Inter-generational Mentoring Program is a collaborative project between OEA-R and the OSEA with support from OEA and NEA. The program pairs retirees with students working toward a degree in education.
The Inter-generational Mentoring Program is designed to help student teachers and new teachers as they finish their studies and move into their first year of teaching.
Brochures
Below are the two OEA-R Mentoring Brochures. One is for OEA-R members and one is for OEA Students members. Brochures include an application form to register for the program.
OEA-R Member Brochure
OEA-R Student Brochure
OEA Friend of Education Award
The Ohio Education Association Friend of Education Award recognizes a person and/or organization whose leadership, actions, and support have contributed to the improvement of public education on a statewide and/or national level. Past recipients include a U.S. Senator, U.S. Representatives, and a corporation.
Any member of the Ohio Education Association may nominate an individual or organization to receive this award. The OEA President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer shall review the nomination(s) and supporting rationale.
Current members of the OEA Board of Directors and association staff members are not eligible for this scholarship. In addition, OEA Awards and Scholarship Committee Members are not eligible for two years after completion of service on the committee to apply or to be nominated.
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. The OEA Awards and Scholarship Committee reserves the right to present no award or to refer an applicant to another award or scholarship.
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
OEA Peace and International Understanding Award
The OEA Peace and International Understanding Award is presented to a district or local affiliate for outstanding contributions to the promotion or execution of the cause of peace and international understanding.
Criteria:
- Nominations may be submitted by any member and/or group of the United Education Profession (UEP).
- Supportive documents and tangible materials such as tapes, photographs, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, etc., should be submitted with the nomination form.
- In making reference to achievements of the nominee, any contributions throughout an individual’s career are acceptable.
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.
→ Back to the Scholarships, Grants & Awards Home Page
Ohio School Districts Can Receive Funds For Breakfast In The Classroom
COLUMBUS – October 6, 2016 – Beginning today, Ohio school districts can apply for a grant from Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom (the Partners) to provide a much-needed healthy and nutritious morning meal to local students and help increase participation in the federally-funded School Breakfast Program. School districts will be selected based on the number of students that qualify for free or reduced priced meals, the average daily participation in the school breakfast program, as well as district and school-provided support.
The Partners, which is a consortium of national education and nutrition organizations, selected 10 states to participate in the program based on need and the potential for success. They include Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. The goal is to increase access to a morning meal for 30,000 students in the 10 states.
Through a $7.5 million grant from the Walmart Foundation, the Partners will offer a school breakfast to students at no charge and will move it from the cafeteria to the classroom. This is intended to improve participation in the School Breakfast Program and boost learning and health.
While most U.S. schools currently participate in the federal School Breakfast Program, nearly half of low-income children who are eligible for a free or reduced-price breakfast are not eating it, according to a 2015 analysis by the Food Research & Action Center. Barriers include school bus schedules, late arrivals to school, pressure to go directly to class, and reluctance to be labeled “low-income.”
The grants from the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom to help bring healthy morning meals into the classroom would have an invaluable impact on students and we encourage school districts across the state to apply,” said Scott DiMauro, vice-president of the Ohio Education Association. “The proven benefits of moving breakfast from the cafeteria to the classroom include better attendance records, less tardiness, and fewer behavioral and discipline problems. Those benefits are what the students in Ohio deserve.”
Since 2010, 35 school districts in 18 states have been awarded a grant by the Partners to implement the Breakfast in the Classroom programs. This has resulted in more than 63,000 students starting their day off with a healthy breakfast. The Partners’ grant will provide funding to school districts to assist with the upfront costs typically associated with starting a breakfast in the classroom program. That includes assisting schools with the purchase of equipment, marketing and communication needs, staff training, and the hiring of short-term food staff.
For more information and to find out if a district is eligible, visit www.BreakfastintheClassroom.org.
# # #
About Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom
The Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom came together in 2010 in response to their shared passion for childhood nutrition and the potential to improve educational outcomes and child health. The Partners include the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Foundation, the School Nutrition Foundation (SNF), and The NEA Foundation. The Partners provide technical assistance and support to school districts to implement the Breakfast in the Classroom programs. The mission of the Partners is to increase breakfast consumption among schoolchildren and spark the academic and nutritional gains associated with the morning meal through the implementation of Breakfast in the Classroom programs.
The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 123,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities
Follow OEA @OhioEA on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.