OEA Welcomes Congressional Passage Of The Every Student Succeeds Act
COLUMBUS – December 9, 2015 – The largest association of professional educators in Ohio today heralded the end of the “test, blame and punish” era of the No Child Left Behind Act with the passage in Congress of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The new law puts educational decision-making back where it belongs – in the hands of local educators, parents and communities – while keeping the focus on students most in need. ESSA recognizes that student success is more than a test score by allowing states to gauge student achievement through multiple measures.
“ESSA recognizes that the one-size-fits-all approach to student achievement does not work,” said Ohio Education Association (OEA) President Becky Higgins. “ESSA will allow Ohio to reduce the amount of standardized testing. In doing so, students will have more time to learn and develop critical thinking, and teachers will have more time to teach and inspire the joy of learning. The measure also provides an opportunity for educators to have a greater voice in shaping education policy.”
Students and educators have lived with the unintended consequences of the failed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for more than 14 years. OEA members advocated on behalf of Ohio’s students in the effort to turn the page on the failed NCLB law and to pass a new federal education law that provides more opportunity for all students.
Leading up to ESSA’s passage, educators in Ohio and across the nation used face-to-face meetings with lawmakers, made phone calls, sent emails and used social media to urge Congress to bring the joy of teaching and learning back to the classroom. Educators nationwide made nearly a half million individual contacts to members of Congress.
President Higgins also noted that ESSA includes provisions for greater charter school accountability and transparency that complement Ohio House Bill 2 that was signed into law last month.
“We welcome the provisions that call for stronger charter school accountability and transparency – something that has been lacking in Ohio for too long,” Higgins said, “and we applaud the hard work done by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown to make sure these provisions were included in ESSA.”
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
OEA Is Granted Temporary Restraining Order To Ensure The Voices Of Youngstown Educators Are Heard
COLUMBUS – December 2, 2015 – The Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas today issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing Brenda Kimble, Youngstown Board of Education President, from appointing a relative, Carol Staten, to the Academic Distress Commission. The Ohio Education Association (OEA) and its affiliate, the Youngstown Education Association (YEA), sought the TRO because Staten is not currently a teacher in the Youngstown City School District.
OEA and YEA argued that Staten’s appointment violates state law that says one member appointed by the president of the Youngstown Board of Education shall be a teacher employed by the district.
“We are pleased that Judge Lou D’Apolito found merit in our complaint and agreed to stop the effort to deny Youngstown educators a chance to advocate for their students and improve the Youngstown City Schools,” said OEA president Becky Higgins. “We are committed to making sure that teachers are heard and can serve on this Commission as provided for under Ohio law.”
A hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for December 14, 2015.
The Ohio Education Association represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
Statement From OEA On The Court’s Decision To Deny A Preliminary Injunction In The Youngstown Case
COLUMBUS – October 13, 2015 – “Today’s decision will not deter us,” said OEA President Becky Higgins, “from continuing to find ways to give voice to the parents, educators and community in Youngstown who were silenced by the state takeover and who have a vital role to play in shaping the future of Youngstown’s public schools so that students have the high-quality education they deserve.”
‘We also remain concerned that the school-takeover provisions that were enacted could be applied to other districts in the state.”
The Ohio Education Association represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
Educators Endorse Ted Strickland For The U.S. Senate
COLUMBUS – October 7, 2015 – 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 Ted Strickland for the U.S. Senate.
“Ohio educators are proud to endorse Ted Strickland for the U.S. Senate,” said OEA President Becky Higgins. “He is a proven champion of sound education policies. As Governor, Ted Strickland sought to ensure that every child had access to a quality education, regardless of where they live or what school they attend. As a member of Congress, he was an early skeptic of the proliferation of standardized testing. We are confident that he will continue to provide a much-needed voice for hard-working Americans, and will serve the best interests of educators and students in Congress.”
The NEA Fund made the endorsement on the recommendation of OEA’s FCPE State Council. In August, members of OEA’s FCPE State Council interviewed two US Senate candidates and recommended Ted Strickland to the NEA Fund. The NEA Fund, a federal political action committee, provides financial support to pro-public education candidates on the federal and state levels without regard to their party affiliation.
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
OEA Urges US Department Of Education To Reconsider Its Charter School Grant
COLUMBUS – September 29, 2015 – The Ohio Education Association today called on the U.S. Department of Education to withhold an announced grant of some $32.5 million for FY 2015 to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) for new charter schools until an independent investigation of ODE’s charter school data-scrubbing has been conducted.
“It’s very hard to have confidence in ODE’s ability to serve as a fair and impartial evaluator of charter school operations in light of what happened in the effort to mask the poor performance of online schools,” said Becky Higgins, president of the Ohio Education Association. “An independent investigation would help restore the public’s faith that ODE is capable of acting in the best interest of Ohio’s students.”
Ohio has drawn national attention for the dismal performance of many charter schools over the last 15 years.
OEA also urged the US Congress to include Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s Charter School Accountability Act in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The bill would strengthen charter school accountability and transparency, and increase community involvement.
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
CONTACT: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469, praterm@ohea.org
Ohio Teacher Unions Jointly Call For Independent Investigation Of ODE’s Role In Charter School Data Rigging
COLUMBUS – September 14, 2015 – The Ohio Education Association and the Ohio Federation of Teachers today sent a letter to the Ohio State Board of Education President Thomas Gunlock. Following is the text of that letter:
Dear President Gunlock,
As representatives of Ohio’s professional educators, we share the concern that you and other members of the Ohio Board of Education have expressed about the apparent violation of the law that occurred in the decision by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to exclude the poor grades of online schools in the evaluation of charter school sponsors. In light of the recent disclosure that this decision was made without the apparent knowledge of State Superintendent Ross, we urge you and colleagues on the Board to support an independent investigation of what happened at ODE.
While we welcome the stated intention of Dr. Ross to examine the breakdown in the internal control process, we believe that an external investigation is warranted in order to restore public trust in the decision-making process at ODE. As you know, there is broad bipartisan support on both the Board of Education and in the General Assembly for greater charter school accountability and transparency, and ODE has a critical role to play in achieving that goal. An investigation of the data manipulation by Mr. Hansen and the knowledge that others in the Department had of that decision would help to restore public confidence in ODE’s ability to be a fair and impartial evaluator of charter school sponsors.
Everyone with a stake in Ohio’s education system – policy makers, administrators, educators, charter school sponsors and operators, and above all the students – is hurt by the dismal performance of too many charter schools in this state. Reading media accounts that refer to charters in Ohio as “a national joke” makes us wince. An investigation of what occurred at ODE in the manipulation of data for charter school sponsor ratings is critical to turning around the perception and reality of charter school performance in Ohio.
We urge you to join those State Board members who are seeking an independent investigation of what took place at ODE in the decision to exclude certain data in ODE’s ratings of charter school sponsors.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Becky Higgins, President, Ohio Education Association
Melissa Cropper, President, Ohio Federation of Teachers
cc: Dr. Richard Ross, Superintendent of Public Instruction
Members of the State Board of Education
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
OEA Takes Action To Ensure The Voices Of Youngstown Educators Are Heard
COLUMBUS – August 21, 2015 – Today, the Ohio Education Association (OEA) along with the Youngstown City School District Board of Education, the Youngstown Education Association – an affiliate of the OEA, Ohio Council 8 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Jane Haggerty, a taxpayer and Youngstown voter, filed a lawsuit in Franklin County to stop the scheduled state takeover of Youngstown City Schools.
The suit against the State of Ohio, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Richard Ross, and the Ohio Department of Education, claims the law that sets up a state takeover was rushed through the Ohio legislature without receiving three readings in each chamber, as required by the Ohio Constitution and in a manner that prevented thorough debate and consideration of the law, including input from educators and local citizens. The suit also claims the law violates the right of local citizens to have elected representatives oversee their school districts.
“Educators want to be able to advocate for their students,” said OEA president Becky Higgins. “The plan to turn over decision-making authority in the Youngstown schools to single person – a CEO – would effectively silence the voices of educators. That’s unacceptable. Educators are committed to improving the Youngstown schools and they need to be heard.”
The plaintiffs asked the judge for a preliminary injunction to block the establishment of a new “Academic Distress Commission” that would name a CEO to run the schools until report card ratings improve. The appointed CEO would have the authority to replace administrators, set class sizes, alter existing contracts and set compensation.
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
CONTACT: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469, praterm@ohea.org
Youngstown Summit Academy Staff Vote To Join OEA
COLUMBUS – July 16, 2015 – Nearly 73 teachers and staff at the three Summit Academy Schools in Youngstown, Ohio, have voted in favor of unionization in ballots that were counted today. They learned that a number of ballots have been challenged, but those challenges are non-determinative. The vote will be certified today.
This will be the first union at an Ohio charter school, which focuses on the special needs of an often underserved community of students. It will be affiliated with the 121,000 members of the Ohio Education Association (OEA).
The decision of educators and staff to seek representation was inspired by the core values of Summit Academy, namely – caring, innovation, passion and professionalism
“As advocates for their students and community, the aspiring Summit Academy members will press for professional respect, greater rights as student advocates, a career path, and greater management transparency” state Eric Ensley, a teacher at Summit Academy Secondary School and Kylie Luca, a teacher at Summit Academy Youngstown.
“All educators, whether they work in a charter or local public school, are committed to the success of their students,” said Becky Higgins, President of the OEA. “We look forward to welcoming the educators and staff at the Summit Academy into our union, and working with them to carry on our tradition of improving education and the lives of Ohio’s students.”
Summit Academy educators and staff look forward to a mutually respectful and cooperative relationship with Summit Academy administration as they work towards a first union contract.
Join the conversation @OhioEA and Like Us at OhioEducationAssociation
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
CONTACT: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469, praterm@ohea.org
Youngstown Charter School Teachers Seek To Join OEA
COLUMBUS – May 29, 2015– Educators at two Summit Academy schools in Youngstown, Summit Academy – Youngstown and Summit Academy Secondary – Youngstown, informed management today of their collective and historic decision to form their own union. The group filed authorization cards with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on behalf of the majority of educators at the school. This triggers an NLRB-supervised election, which should take place within a month, to certify SAYEA as the exclusive bargaining representative.
If a majority of educators and staff vote to form the Summit Academy Youngstown Education Association (SAYEA), it will be the first charter school union in Youngstown and will be affiliated with the 121,000 members of the Ohio Education Association.
The decision of educators and staff to seek representation was inspired by the mission of Summit Academy, namely the commitment “to providing an extraordinary, safe, and nurturing learning environment where students will reach their full potential.”
“As advocates for their students and community, future SAYEA members seek recognition so that they can best advocate for their students, many of whom have special needs, “said Becky Higgins, president of the OEA. “We look forward to welcoming the educators and staff at the Summit Academy Youngstown into our union, and working with them to carry on our tradition of improving education and the lives of Ohio’s students.”
Currently, teachers fear the threat of retaliation if they advocate for greater resources and programs for their students. They would like to make working at Summit Academy a career rather than being treated as at-will employees. By forming a union, they believe they will have a greater ability to advocate for their students.
The hopeful SAYEA educators embrace Summit Academy’s “Full Value Contract” and ask Academy officials to honor its principles of, “Safety, Respect, Full Participation and Honest Feedback.” Summit Academy educators look forward to a mutually respectful and cooperative relationship with Academy management as they work to improve their schools and towards a first union contract.
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
CONTACT: Julie Newhall
614-227-3044
OEA Urges Senate Lawmakers To Ease The Financial Burden On Local School Districts In Charter School Reform Bill
COLUMBUS – May 20, 2015 – In testimony today before members of the Ohio Senate Finance-Education Subcommittee, the Ohio Education Association said the current system of paying for students who choose to attend charter schools is unfair to too many school districts. Under the current “pass through” funding system, school districts are required to subsidize the difference between the full per-pupil charter school deduction ($5,800 in 2014-15) and the lower per-pupil state aid a district actually receives.
“The result is that local public schools must often subsidize charter school payments by either cutting services for students, tapping into local revenues, or both,” said OEA President Becky Higgins. “This is unfair and we ask lawmakers to remedy this situation.”
It’s estimated that local school districts and taxpayers subsidized approximately $250 million of the nearly $1 billion cost of charter schools in the 2014-15 school year. OEA urged legislators to find ways to fund charter schools so that students who choose to attend local public schools are not unfairly deprived of scarce resources. Relief could be provided to school districts by having the state directly fund charters or by limiting the money transferred from local districts to the amount of the state’s per-pupil share.
OEA supports SB 148, which it believes would make important progress on many, but not all, of the needed legislative fixes to the state’s broken charter school system.
OEA offered three principles that it believes should be part of comprehensive charter school reform: 1) accelerate the process for closing failing charter schools; 2) ensure that charter schools are subject to the same public records laws and financial transparency standards as any other public entity; and 3) fund charter schools in a way that doesn’t penalize traditional public schools.
Currently, too much local money is going to poor performing charters at the expense of the 90% of Ohio’s students that choose to attend local public schools.
OEA also agrees with concerns raised by the State Auditor about the school funding implications of the apparently growing problem of multiple statewide student identification numbers (SSIDs) being created for the same student. OEA supports the Auditor’s proposed solution that would allow the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) to know the identity of the student behind each of these numbers so that charter schools are not paid more than once for the same student and to make sure students don’t fall through the cracks.
“Charter schools are paid based on student attendance,” said Higgins. “However, as noted by the Auditor, it has been demonstrated over the past several years, that the honor system for verifying student eligibility currently used in Ohio is open to abuse and needs to be fixed.”
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The Ohio Education Association (ohea.org) represents 121,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals in Ohio’s public schools, colleges and universities.
CONTACT: Michele Prater
614-227-3071; cell 614-378-0469, praterm@ohea.org