Norwood T.A.’s Leila Kubesch Named 2020 Ohio Teacher of the Year
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria surprised students and staff at Norwood Middle School this week by announcing that Leila Kubesch was selected as Ohio’s 2020 teacher of the year.
Kubesch teaches Spanish and English as a second language at Norwood Middle School.
School officials also said Kubesch encourages students to participate in service learning projects to build confidence and grow their desire to learn. For example, students have worked for a local cable television station to create a talk show involving community members who discuss various topics with the students.
Kubesch and her students were awarded the Ohio Education Association Media Award for Public Service for that project. They also received a grant to expand their studio.
During the 2017-18 school year, Kubesch secured a grant for a performing arts project. They created a display, laminating their dreams and hanging them on burlap sacks, with cutouts of hands forming a border. The display stretched more than 100 feet, and a special exhibit featuring the project opened at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Downtown Cincinnati. A poster by the exhibit explained how burlap was used in North Africa – as clothing, rugs and sacks.
Click here to learn more about Kubesch and the Ohio Teacher of the Year Program.
OEA Pres. Scott DiMauro: Pledge to be an Education Voter
October 1, 2019 | VBlog By OEA President Scott DiMauro
Pledge to be an Education Voter
Dear Colleagues,
Please take a few minutes to view my latest weekly update on things happening in and around OEA.
This week’s message includes reflections on a fascinating new Ohio State University study on student learning, early opportunities to support pro-public education candidates from both parties in 2020 (including as convention delegates), and a reminder on OEA-RA delegate election deadlines.
Please click on this link (https://educationvotes.nea.org/presidential-2020/2020pledge/) to pledge to be an education voter and then share with your fellow members.
I welcome your feedback. Please contact me if you have questions, would like an officer to visit your local, or have anything to share.
Have a good week!
Scott DiMauro
President
Ohio Education Association
Related Reading
- 09.28.2019 | Columbus Dispatch: Kids in poor schools show same academic growth as others, Ohio State study finds| “It confirms the fact that we’ve got a lot of really good teachers who are doing really good in our high-poverty schools,” said Scott DiMauro.
Weekly Message from OEA Pres. Scott DiMauro
September 24, 2019 | VBlog By OEA President Scott DiMauro
Greetings from Washington, DC!
Please take a few minutes to view my latest weekly update on things happening in and around OEA.
This week’s message includes an explanation for why I’m in DC, a shout-out to our hard-working NEA Directors, takeaways from last weekend’s OEA Board meeting, including relevant issues our committees will be working on this year, and a few time-sensitive reminders for local leaders.
Please click here for further information on our 2019-20 goals for the OEA Fund for Children and Public Education and goals for your local.
Let us know if you have questions or need assistance. I welcome your feedback. Please contact me if you have questions, would like an officer to visit your local, or have anything to share. [Click here to make a secure donation to FCPE now.]
Have a good week!
Scott DiMauro
President
Ohio Education Association
Weekly Message from OEA Pres. Scott DiMauro
September 10, 2019 | VBlog By OEA President Scott DiMauro
Dear Colleagues,
This week’s message includes an update on what we’re hearing at UniServ Leadership Council meetings around the state, a reminder on New Educator Cards, some reflections on Ohio’s latest “Quality Counts” ranking and ongoing efforts to fix school funding, the latest news on legislation to repeal the state takeover law, important information on the need for all locals to conduct delegate elections, and a shout-out to a very special member at the Ohio School for the Blind.
I welcome your feedback.
Please contact me if you have questions, would like an officer to visit your local, or have anything to share.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Scott DiMauro
President
Ohio Education Association
VBlog | The Value of Membership
By Scott DiMauro, OEA President
Dear Colleagues,
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a month already, but I can’t begin to tell you how much of an honor it is to serve as your OEA President. I am deeply grateful to Becky Higgins, Sheryl Mathis and Mark Hill for supporting me through this leadership transition, and I ask you to join me in welcoming Jeff Wensing as our new Vice President.
As a team, we have been crisscrossing the state to support your membership recruitment and engagement efforts, and we have had many incredible member ambassadors from our O.N.E. program leading that work as well.
While it’s too early to know about overall membership trends, we’ve been seeing a lot of enthusiasm as newly hired school employees are choosing to belong to our union all over Ohio. Many thanks to each of you for your efforts in ensuring we have a successful start to the 2019-20 school year.
I plan to share a brief weekly update on our successes, challenges and priorities starting next week. In the meantime, in case you haven’t seen it yet, I’d like to share a short video that our membership and communications team has put together on the value of membership. Please feel free to share it with prospective and returning members as you see fit.
At this exciting time of new beginnings, I wish you the very best for a great year.
Thank you for all you do for our fellow educators and the students we serve!
Sincerely,
Scott DiMauro
OEA President
President’s Message: Support, Protection, Power
Our Union Helps Us Make Our Students’ Lives Better And Our Communities Stronger
I can’t begin to tell you how much of an honor it is to have the opportunity to serve as your president.
OEA is an incredible organization for two fundamental reasons: who we are, and why we’re here. We have caring, committed, qualified educators in all 88 of Ohio’s counties performing in a wide variety of roles who are united in a single cause—to ensure that every single one of our students is provided a quality public education that inspires their natural curiosity, imagination and desire to learn.
Driven by the desire to foster the critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills my students needed to become effective citizens in our democracy, I became a high school social studies teacher 28 years ago. I didn’t go into education to help kids pass tests, but to create lifelong learners.
I wanted to make a difference, and I know you do too. That’s our purpose. That’s our mission.
That’s why I believe in you and your power to change lives and shape the future. My desire to make a difference naturally led to my active involvement in my local union.
I knew even before my first day of teaching American history at Tolles Technical Center in Plain City I would need the support of my colleagues if I had any hope of success.
That’s why I proudly joined the 45-member strong Tolles Education Association and soon found myself attending Labor- Management Committee meetings and advocating at the bargaining table.
As I continued my career in Worthington and through nearly three decades of activism at all levels of this organization, I have learned that it is only through our union that members are given the support and relationships to necessary to nurture our work with students. It is only through our union that we have the protection and advocacy needed to do our jobs without having to look over our shoulders. And it is only through our union that we are able to harness our collective influence and power to protect public education and improve the lives of our fellow educators and the students we serve.
“I wanted to make a difference, and I know you do too. That’s our purpose. That’s our mission.”
Many colleagues have supported and encouraged me throughout my union journey.
Wendy Nichols, my teaching mentor at Tolles, first invited me to belong to the association and provided me with opportunities to get involved in my local. Kathy Broom, who had been fired early in her marriage and teaching career simply for being pregnant and used the power of her union to successfully win her job back, helped me understand the power of collective advocacy. Suzanne Kaszar, my first OEA Labor Relations Consultant, taught me about bargaining and connected
me to programs to develop my leadership skills.
So many others have made a difference for me because they recognized my leadership potential and provided opportunities for me to play an active role in servingmy fellow members. It began with a simple invitation to belong to a movement that was larger than myself.
If you’re new to your role as an educator or education support professional, or if you have been in the profession for a while but have not yet become a member, I invite you to belong to the OEA and to tap into the support, protection and power your union has to offer.
If you’re returning as a member, I encourage you to be actively involved. Consider following the example Wendy provided to me and invite at least one colleague to join you and feel included. We’re all in this together.
I’m inspired by you and all that you do every day to make our students’ lives better and our communities stronger. You have challenged, nurtured and supported me throughout my union journey, and I look forward to continuing our journey together.
Sincerely,
Scott W. DiMauro, President
Ohio Education Association
OEA Views State Budget as Mixed Bag
The Ohio Education Association (OEA) said today, July 17, 2019, that while it welcomes the progress made by state lawmakers on some fronts in the state budget, it is disappointed that more could not be achieved on important issues, notably the repeal of the failed state takeover of troubled school districts which was overwhelmingly supported by the House in its adoption of HB 154.
OEA President Scott DiMauro noted that a moratorium on new Academic Distress Commissions in the budget deal is a tacit admission of what educators, parents, students and an increasing number of legislators know to be true — that state takeovers don’t serve the interests of the students they were intended to help.
“Disappointed that more could not be achieved on important issues, notably the repeal of the failed state takeover of troubled school district….” — OEA President Scott DiMauro
“Sadly, the legislature leaves the communities of Youngstown, Lorain and East Cleveland languishing under a failing law until they can figure out how to give districts struggling with high levels of poverty the support they need,” said DiMauro. “As we continue the fight to enact HB 154 to repeal state takeovers and restore local control, I am deeply disappointed in the decision to allow CEOs to continue wreaking havoc on our schools.”
On the plus side, OEA said it is pleased to see the expansion of school breakfast programs in high-poverty districts and welcomes the significant new funding for wrap-around services in those districts that help students get ready to learn.
OEA also applauds lawmakers for taking a small but important step toward fixing Ohio’s misleading report card system by adjusting the value-added grading scale to give school districts more credit for the progress they have made with students.
OEA is encouraged by requirements that charter e-schools disclose more information about their operations. However, OEA is disappointed with budget provisions that dial-back on accountability for charter sponsors and drop-out prevention charter schools.
In addition, OEA also believes strongly that the expansion of voucher programs in the budget is unnecessary. “Ohio has no shortage of vouchers to pay private school tuition on the taxpayer’s dime,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “It is time to end the unnecessary and costly expansion of vouchers and focus on meeting the needs of all students in Ohio’s public schools.”
Lastly, OEA is troubled by the elimination of the requirement that teachers meet specific licensure requirements to teach in core subject areas and grades. “This removes an important protection for students and undermines the profession,” said DiMauro. “OEA is committed to serving students with highly-prepared educators.”
OEA Views State Budget as Mixed Bag
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Julie Newhall
614 578-6380 or newhallj@ohea.org
The Ohio Education Association (OEA) said today that while it welcomes the progress made by state lawmakers on some fronts in the state budget, it is disappointed that more could not be achieved on important issues, notably the repeal of the failed state takeover of troubled school districts which was overwhelmingly supported by the House in its adoption of HB 154.
OEA President Scott DiMauro noted that a moratorium on new Academic Distress Commissions in the budget deal is a tacit admission of what educators, parents, students and an increasing number of legislators know to be true – that state takeovers don’t serve the interests of the students they were intended to help.
“Sadly, the legislature leaves the communities of Youngstown, Lorain and East Cleveland languishing under a failing law until they can figure out how to give districts struggling with high levels of poverty the support they need,” said DiMauro. “As we continue the fight to enact HB 154 to repeal state takeovers and restore local control, I am deeply disappointed in the decision to allow CEOs to continue wreaking havoc on our schools.”
On the plus side, OEA said it is pleased to see the expansion of school breakfast programs in high-poverty districts and welcomes the significant new funding for wrap-around services in those districts that help students get ready to learn.
OEA also applauds lawmakers for taking a small but important step toward fixing Ohio’s misleading report card system by adjusting the value-added grading scale to give school districts more credit for the progress they have made with students.
OEA is encouraged by requirements that charter e-schools disclose more information about their operations. However, OEA is disappointed with budget provisions that dial-back on accountability for charter sponsors and drop-out prevention charter schools.
In addition, OEA also believes strongly that the expansion of voucher programs in the budget is unnecessary. “Ohio has no shortage of vouchers to pay private school tuition on the taxpayer’s dime,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “It is time to end the unnecessary and costly expansion of vouchers and focus on meeting the needs of all students in Ohio’s public schools.”
Lastly, OEA is troubled by the elimination of the requirement that teachers meet specific licensure requirements to teach in core subject areas and grades. “This removes an important protection for students and undermines the profession,” said DiMauro. “OEA is committed to serving students with highly-prepared educators.”
The Ohio Education Association represents 122,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
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