Ohio Education Association
Public ed coalition plans lawsuit to try to kill EdChoice vouchers
The education coalition behind the case that successfully argued Ohio’s public school system was unconstitutional says they’ll head back to the courts to eliminate the EdChoice private school voucher system. Bill Phillis, executive director for the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding, said the approval of the fair school funding plan, even […]
Educators favor House school funding overhaul over Senate rewrite
Officials representing Ohio’s teachers say the Senate’s new version of the public school funding overhaul leaves much to be desired, unlike the House version it would replace. “It is a matter of political will and it’s a matter of priorities, and prioritizing public education just doesn’t seem to be where the Senate is when you […]
Subject of ’91 education funding lawsuit sees hope in new formula in state budget
In 1991, Sheridan High School freshman Nathan DeRolph thought Ohio’s education funding formula would change before he entered college. He and his parents had filed a lawsuit against the state that would eventually make it to the Ohio Supreme Court, fighting against the overreliance on property taxes built into public school funding. “I kind of […]
School admins support change to state report cards
The elimination of letter grades on state rankings of K-12 schools would benefit all schools, supporters say, but would especially help schools struggling to help poor and marginalized students. The superintendent of a district with a level of poverty so high that all students are eligible for free meals said the report card puts them […]
Advocates, legislators want more from governor’s education budget
With no changes planned for the state education funding formula included in Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed budget, education advocates and some state legislators are left wanting more. “The devil is always in the details,” said Scott DiMauro, head of the Ohio Education Association, in a statement after the release of the budget. “Education spending must […]
Ohio Board of Education member speaks on participation in ‘Stop the Steal’ event
An Ohio Board of Education member said she merely walked, prayed and waved her American flag on the trip she organized to U.S. Capitol the day it was breached by insurrectionists. As previously reported by the OCJ, elected board member Kirsten Hill organized a bus trip for a “Stop the Steal” event as part of […]
COVID-19 cases in schools still grow leading up to holiday break
A Butler County school tops the reported student cases in schools as the state’s districts head into their holiday breaks. Some schools have seen significant case increases in the last month, even with breaks for Thanksgiving and various hybrid online and in-person learning models. Lakota Local Schools reported 357 total cases in the most recent […]
Ohio Education Association urges statewide suspension of in-person classes
The state’s largest public schools union is asking that all public schools suspend in-person instruction until mid-January “in light of the alarming explosion in community spread of the coronavirus in recent weeks.” The Ohio Education Association said in a statement that they plan on calling “state leaders and school districts” to discuss a new plan […]
Teachers unions urge veto on school funding bill
Two of Ohio’s top teachers unions are asking the governor to veto a new education bill just passed by the legislature. The Ohio Senate and House passed Senate Bill 89 last week after it spent months in a conference committee being revised and developed into a bill that, among other things, focuses on the private […]
Educators battle misinformation in run-up to November election
We are living in the age of fake news. No, not the “deep state is out to get the president” kind. The real “fake news” is all around us, spreading partially by word of mouth and at certain political rallies, and much more so on Facebook and Instagram, as people pass along rumors and myths […]
COVID-19 cases in children rise, educators still begging for financial back-to-school help
As data shows rising numbers of children contracting COVID-19, school districts are still begging for funding to keep students and staff safe. One of the state’s teacher’s unions said school districts can’t be expected to live up to the standard needed to prevent COVID-19 spread in schools if they don’t have the proper resources. “All […]
An SOS (Save Our Schools) to U.S. Sen. Rob Portman from education groups
Editor’s Note: This is a joint commentary from Lois Carson, president of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, and Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. On Thursday, March 12, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that Ohio schools would be shutting down physically and four […]