Bring Mock Elections to your students
Help build voting habits by bringing a mock election to your school or classroom.
The November election is quickly approaching and now is the time to plan a mock election for your school. Kids Voting Ohio has created a simple system that is free to educators and gives students a chance to learn the importance of voting as well civic involvement in an engaging and fun way. The Kids Voting Ohio Mock Election curriculum comes with all the materials necessary to build a successful mock election, including lesson plans and customizable ballots.
Learn more or sign-up by visiting https://www.kidsvotingohio.org/elections
Kids Voting Ohio is a free nonpartisan voter and civics education program for Ohio students grades 3-12. Kids Voting Ohio offers completely free programs to schools and educators including mock elections, social studies standards-aligned curriculum, student scholarships, teacher training sessions, opportunities for student events and experiences, educator and voter resources.
OEA and OFT express concern about possible adverse impact of proposed new 2020 primary date
Dear Governor DeWine, Secretary of State LaRose, President Obhof and Speaker Householder:
On behalf of the members of our organizations, we write to express concern about the proposed new date for the 2020 primary. We certainly understand the pressing health and safety concerns that led to the decision to delay the election. Protecting the health of Ohioans is of paramount importance. However, setting a primary date as late as June 2nd presents potentially serious problems for school districts. Many school districts had levies on the anticipated March 17th primary. The results of these levies will have an impact on staffing decisions for the next school year.
Current law has a June 1st deadline for notifying staff of the school board’s intent to non-renew a contract. Having election results prior to this date is critical to allowing affected districts to plan their budgets and in making decisions about staffing. If the primary election is not held prior to June 1, steps should be taken to move this statutory deadline for the current year.
Setting a date for the primary election prior to June 2nd would provide more timely election results. Whatever date is set for the primary, we recommend allowing sufficient time for official results to be tallied before districts need to make budget and staffing decisions based on levy results. We also encourage that every effort should be made to push absentee voting as the preferred option. Holding the remainder of the election exclusively as vote by mail should also be considered. This would allow Ohioans to exercise their Constitutional right to vote in the safest manner available.
Thank you for your consideration of this important issue. As you consider this and other vital issues our organizations stand ready to discuss alternatives that benefit Ohio’s students and our members while protecting the health and safety of all citizens.
Sincerely,
Scott DiMauro, President, Ohio Education Association
Melissa Cropper, President, Ohio Federation of Teachers
The Ohio Education Association represents 122,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
OEA votes to support $13 minimum wage ballot issue
“An Ohioan working full time for minimum wage now earns just $18,000 a year—an income that falls $3,600 short of the poverty level and does not cover even the most basic needs,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro.
“With minimum wage so low, too many parents can’t make ends meet, and too many students are forced to make do without the very basics,” DiMauro said. “When our students have economic stability at home, they can flourish at school and fulfill their full promise to become leaders, innovators, and caring members of our community.”
The proposal would raise Ohio’s minimum wage, currently $8.70 an hour for non-tipped employees, to $9.60 an hour on January 1, 2021. It would then increase it each year until stopping at $13 an hour in 2025.
The OEA is a member of Ohioans for Raising the Wage, a coalition of community, faith and labor organizations backing the ballot issue. Coalition members are working to collect roughly 443,000 valid voter signatures from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties by July 1 so the measure can appear on the November 2020 ballot.
The Ohio Education Association represents 122,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.