“Our members remain committed to doing all that they can to educate the students they serve,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro, “but it seems impossible to imagine how tests could be conducted in the current environment where schools are closed and the state continues to face the challenges posed by an unprecedented public health crisis. Today’s vote by state lawmakers was the logical step to take.”
While OEA would have preferred a long-term solution to fix the problem of a potentially explosive expansion in the number of EdChoice vouchers, freezing EdChoice eligibility affords more time to address the issue fully.
Additionally, OEA appreciates the extension of absentee voting for the primary election until April 28. The proposed delay until June 2 would not have allowed sufficient time for levy election results to be known before school districts need to make budget and staffing decisions.
The Ohio Education Association represents 122,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.