Fall 2018 COMMUNIQUÉ

Welcome Back! Member Experiences Be a Part of the New NEA edCommunities The Threat of a One Page Contract

Special Election Issue Welcome Back to the Start Member Experiences of a New School Year! Tiffany Thomas (Hilliard EA)

Adrienne M. Bowden (Pickerington EA), Central Over the past two years my experiences OEA/NEA President in and out of the classroom have led me to taking a more active role not only in my local, Thank you for belonging to Central OEA/NEA. As members but within Central OEA/NEA. In pushing we continue to use our voices and collective strength to myself to find my place in this profession, ensure that resources and opportunities are being directed I was given a wonderful opportunity to to our students and schools. be a voice not only for myself, but for my colleagues, students and profession. Our working conditions are the students’ learning condi- tions. We need to continue to use our collective power to After jumping into my role as Building Rep ensure all of our students receive a quality education so and being a part of the Emerging Leaders they can be successful and engendered with a life-long Cohort and the Diversity Committee within love of learning. Central, the opportunity to be a delegate I know that all teachers and support staff have been work- at the NEA Representative Assembly in ing diligently to prepare for the school year, exploring ways Minneapolis, Minnesota, was presented. I to challenge and inspire our students. We, as profession- couldn’t pass this up! als, have a number of avenues through which we can engage in educational advocacy. With the support and ef- I was excited for the RA, but extremely forts of members like you, we can shape the lives of many nervous. It was intimidating because of the students all over Central . pace of the meeting, but the wonderful leadership and Reps in Central calmed me There are many opportunities that lie ahead for us as edu- down and let me know my fears were a cators inside and outside of our school buildings. Whether normal part of the process. As I navigated my you are a seasoned educator or new to the profession, way to understanding these meetings, I kept Central OEA/NEA is here to support you with your educa- reminding myself that it gets better and to tional and professional development needs. keep swimming. We have been working hard throughout the summer to Walking onto the RA floor was an experience find ways to further enhance our I feel every member should live through at services and programming, creating least once. Seeing the huge, brightly-lit stage ways to engage all members and bet- and thousands of educators excited about ter support our Local Associations. “doing the work” was inspiring. Not many Check out our website for details on times do teachers get the opportunity to the conferences, scholarships, grants gather and really feel supported. The NEA RA and committee work we offer. did just that for me. It reignited my fire to be I wish you the best of luck this the best advocate for my students and my school year! profession.

I am so happy I took this opportunity to become a delegate and a more active part of the process of creating a stronger union. A week of fellowship, dialogue and positive change has me fired up and ready to move COMMUNIQUÉ our Association forward in this current Volume 47, Number 1 Fall 2018 political climate.

Published four times a year as a service of CENTRAL OEA/NEA, INC. My advice? Don’t be afraid to answer the call 947 Goodale Blvd. to become more involved in your local, state Columbus, OH 43212 and national associations. It’s so worth it! I Adrienne M. Bowden, President feel like a much bigger piece of the puzzle Kevin Griffin, Vice President Russell Hughlock, Communications & Organizing Coordinator after this experience and can’t wait for next year. See you in Houston! Editors Ann Eblin, Judy Furnas, Carla Noll Fiscal Manager Tim Skamfer Production Russell Hughlock Design Pam McClung Phone 614-222-8228 E-mail [email protected] 2 Fall 2018 National Conferences Save the Dates

Here are some upcoming National Conferences Testimonials from the 2018 NEA Leadership you may wish to save the dates for. Summit

Minority Leadership/Women’s I loved the Leadership Summit. I learned a lot of informa- Leadership Training Seminar- EAST tion I can take back to my local and beyond. ~ Noel Blevins

NEA Higher Education Conference * What a conference! Eric Liu, a keynote speaker, was amaz- ing. I don’t know how many times I’ve already used words NEA Leadership Summit, Denver, CO and metaphors in an effort to spur people into action or just www.nea.org/leadershipsummit * in conversation. “We’re better off when we’re all better off.” NEA ESP Conference, Las Vegas, NV www.nea.org/espconference * I loved the sessions led by our talented and very own Ohio people, Adrienne Bowden and Dan Greenburg. The cultural NEA-Retired Conference competency pieces learned have already been implement- ed and talked about with students and staff at my school. Ethnic Leaders Conference ** The ideas I have to enrich my local were meaningful and insightful. * Central provides a scholarship. Check our website for more details. I could go on forever about meeting teachers and students from all over the country and hearing their stories. I loved ** OEA provides a scholarship. Contact Central talking to high-school aged aspiring teachers from Alabama Leadership ([email protected]) if you and about merit pay with teachers from Florida and about are interested in this opportunity. the potential statewide strike from Oklahoma teachers and maybe even Arizona teachers. Teachers are under attack, If you are interested in presenting at the NEA Higher and we need to arm ourselves with knowledge and stories Education Conference visit the proposal page at www.nea. so that we may better our profession and rally others to org/home/71870.htm. make it more respected and honored. ~ Harry Gee

Fall 2018 33 Central Welcomes New Board Members

Central would like to welcome the following members to the Executive Board. Some are returning in new positions.

Barry Alcock (Retired) Tammy Koontz (SCOPE), OEA Unit 5

Mark Hill (Worthington EA), OEA Secretary-Treasurer

Adrienne Bowden Kelly Modlich (Westerville (Pickerington), EA), Central Representative NEA Director Area 5

Mary Kennedy (Hilliard EA), OEA Unit 8

A full list of Central’s Executive Board can be found on our website at this link: www.centraloeanea. org/central/executive-board. Leila Kazemi (OSU), Student Amy Shenefield (Buckeye Valley TA), OEA Unit 4 4 OEA Campaign 2018 “Every second of your day and every second of Our students and schools are waiting for the resources your pay have been decided by a political official.” ~ and funding needed to provide a great education for all Karen Andermills (Columbus Education Association) our students. Our schools are waiting for political leaders to make our education issues a top priority. But wait- ing is not enough. As educators we must work to elect What is the Process for Recommending pro-public education and pro-labor candidates up and Candidates for Office? down the ballot this November so that we can secure a The screening process is made up of a bipartisan, objective and stronger and brighter future for all of Ohio’s students and transparent committee of members. Candidate recommenda- families. tions are based solely on educational issues.

As education professionals our voices need to be heard Candidates for statewide office are interviewed by the OEA about who will best represent the educational positions Fund for Children and Public Education (FCPE) State Council, for our students. We need each member to join the OEA which consists of representatives from each of OEA’s 10 dis- tricts, OEA’s Retired affiliate and the OEA Board of Directors. Campaign for 2018. We are asking members to sign up to get the latest campaign information and learn how Candidates for Ohio House and Ohio Senate are interviewed by you can help get pro-public education candidates elected district-level interview teams that include representatives from this fall. You can sign up at https://actionnetwork.org/ each OEA local in the area and a five-member District Screen- campaigns/oea-campaign-2018 to be a part of this ing Council. movement. Candidates are invited to complete a written questionnaire and As part of its 2018 program, OEA will identify politically participate in an interview to discuss their views on a variety of active local associations and a Local Education Associa- educational issues, including school funding, employee rights, tion Coordinator to play an integral role in Campaign retirement and privatization. Recommendations for endorse- 2018. ment are made based on the candidates’ records in office and positions on those issues. Candidates who choose not to Coordinators will work directly with OEA field staff in participate in the screening process are not eligible for endorse- the recruitment and training of member activists in their ment. local association to participate in campaign activities and events. If you are interested in becoming a coordinator, By law, members’ dues may not be used for contributions to please contact your local LRC. candidates for office.

OEA Members Endorse Richard Cordray for Ohio Governor and Betty Sutton for Lt. Governor

During my campaign I have talked to educators and stake- Schools succeed when they have a clear, intentional plan for holders across the state, and among the most important the success of students, educators, staff and administrators. issues in education today are the lack of accountability for Betty Sutton and I will work to ensure meaningful student en- our charter schools, the lack of equitable and adequate gagement, that learning progress is appropriately measured, public-school funding, and the lack of accessible pre-K that schools have well-prepared and supported teachers who educational programs. are working towards continuous professional improvement, and that schools are receiving the funding and administrative Failing for-profit charter schools, like ECOT, have irresponsi- support designed to realize these objectives. bly diverted billions of dollars from our public schools while providing woefully inadequate education to Ohio’s children. We also need to be clear that our public schools, teachers This has worsened the problem of assuring adequate fund- and support staff already do many things well, and we should ing for our public schools. not be misled by the critics who truly seek to undermine public education rather than improve it. As Governor, I will relentlessly press for a school funding system that is both fair and “thorough and efficient” under the Ohio Constitution. The quality of a child’s education should not be determined by his or her zip code. Finally, we must heed the crystal-clear evidence that preschool educational and developmental programming improves school readiness and enhances children’s ability to master language, literacy and math skills central to navi- gating our society. Taking steps to enhance access to pre-K will set Ohio’s children on the path to success.

55 OEA Members Endorse OEA Members Endorse Kathleen Clyde Steve Dettelbach for Secretary of State for Attorney General

The first time I voted in Steve Dettelbach, has spent an election, I didn’t have over 20 years as a federal to worry about whether prosecutor holding the worst I had the correct form criminals accountable. From of ID, I didn’t have to crooked CEOs to child abus- wait in a long line, and I ers and corrupt politicians certainly didn’t have to -- Democrats and Republicans worry that my registra- alike -- Steve took them on tion might have been because he believes no one purged. After all, I was is above the law. Steve will just a kindergartener in continue to take on the tough Garettsville, Ohio, voting fights as Ohio Attorney Gen- in my first mock presiden- eral, and will work tirelessly to tial election. I doubt that protect Ohio workers, chil- my teacher, Mrs. Bowen dren and families. could have predicted that I’d dedicate myself to Dettelbach will stand up for public education and the labor making sure that all elections in Ohio run equally movement by taking on corruption and fighting for the smoothly. She was just doing what Ohio’s public rights of working Ohioans. The son of a school-teacher, school teachers do every day: working to impart Dettelbach will work to rid our state of corruption which the knowledge, skills and values that students has cost Ohio public schools hundreds of millions of dol- need to achieve their dreams. lars. Nowhere is that corruption more evident than in the We must support Ohio’s education professionals now-defunct for-profit e-school the Electronic Classroom in that work. As a member of the Ohio House, of Tomorrow (ECOT), which siphoned hundreds of millions I am proud to have stood against Senate Bill 5’s from public schools while a corporate executive got rich, attack on the collective bargaining rights of public then turned around and gave campaign checks to politicians employees. A strong teachers’ union is a strong like Steve’s opponent, , to get them to look the advocate for the students that it serves. And a other way. positive and encouraging working environment for As a career prosecutor, Steve has more than two decades educators is a positive and encouraging learning of fighting corruption in all forms--from ensuring public environment for their students. funds intended for education are not misused to protecting Sadly, the General Assembly has not been as our students from bad actors like ECOT and the politicians supportive. Rather than invest in teachers, it has who enabled them. Steve will put teachers, students and diverted funds to unaccountable for-profit charter their families first by acting as an independent watchdog schools. ECOT diverted nearly $600 million away with zero tolerance for corruption. from Ohio’s public schools in the last six years Steve knows our public employees -- especially those in alone. The costs of such policies are not measured the education profession - play a critical role in our state, in just dollars. Roughly 12,000 Ohio students were keeping us safe, educating our children and performing abandoned when ECOT abruptly shut down. countless other vital public services. But powerful special As a Representative, I fought against those poli- interests are working every day to limit the voice of edu- cies. As Secretary of State, I will bring that same cators and other public sector employees. In the wake of commitment to the fight for voting rights and fair Janus, Steve will fight every day to protect workers’ rights. districts. By closing secret-money loopholes, I He’ll stand with the Attorneys General from states like Illi- will return power to the voters instead of special nois, Washington and Massachusetts in defending workers’ interests. And because I believe that voting is a rights to collectively bargain. Ohio is strong when unions fundamental right, I will continue to advocate for are strong -- that is a belief Steve holds and will fight for automatic voter registration. We must guarantee every day as AG. that when today’s kindergarteners grow up and By sending Dettelbach to Columbus, our teachers, school cast their first ballot, their voices will be heard and support staff, parents and kids can know Ohio’s top law their votes will count. enforcement officer is looking out for them. Whether it’s protecting workers’ rights or standing up to a corrupt system that has come at the expense of public schools, we know that as AG, Dettelbach will have our back.

6 6 Fall 2018 OEA Members Endorse Sherrod OEA Members Endorse Rob Brown for US Senate Richardson for Treasurer of State “Every student deserves a community that supports their As an elementary and middle school student, Rob was education. I’m troubled by the lack of oversight and trans- enrolled in learning disability classes where he was told parency of many charter schools -- and will continue push- that he would never be capable of going to college. How- ing for accountability. I will also keep up my efforts to bring ever, equipped with the words of his mother, he worked critical resources to K-12 schools across Ohio, along with diligently and enrolled as a student at The University of making higher education more accessible to every Ameri- Cincinnati. Once on campus, his passion for leadership and can.” ~ Senator service led him to establish the first collegiate chapter of the NAACP in the tristate area. Rob led the implementation Senator Sherrod Brown has a long history of supporting of a collaborative approach for engaging the greater public education, educators and unions.To learn more Cincinnati community, which he continued in his role of about his education agenda visit Student Body President at UC. www.sherrodbrown.com/issues/education. In 2008, after graduating Law School, Rob was asked by Ohio Governor to serve on UC’s Board of Trustees. He was elected to Board Chair in 2016, where OEA Members Endorse Zack Space he had the responsibility of leading the search for the 30th for Auditor of State President, Dr. Neville Pinto. During his tenure, Rob estab- lished the UC Scholars Academy, a leadership develop- Ohioans in every corner of the state know that our demo- ment and academic preparedness program for students in cratic process is not working for them. Too many feel CPS. He also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for left behind and ignored by career politicians. For too long student scholarships, including the largest corporate Ohio’s political process and system of government have diversity scholarship at UC, helped establish the univer- catered to wealthy campaign contributors and prioritized sity’s 1819 innovation hub, and led the first ever Next Lives powerful special interests, while disregarding the needs Here Innovation Summit. Rob also advocated systemic and concerns of hard-working Ohioans and their families. top-down reforms to UC police policy following the killing We deserve a government that is responsive to us; that of Samuel Dubose. is accountable to us. Only we have the power to change the rules that govern our democracy. As Auditor, Zack will Rob is now the Democratic nominee for Ohio Treasurer. If work tirelessly to reform our government and restore faith he wins this election he will be the first Democrat of color in Ohio’s democracy. That starts by shining a light on the to ever win a statewide position. improper influence of pay-to-play politics. One need look no further than to the Electronic Classroom As your Treasurer I will: of Tomorrow (ECOT) scandal to understand that our politi- cal process is broken. ECOT received over $1 billion in financial coaching and retirement plans akin to Oregon taxpayer money to educate our children, despite its re- Saves. peated misrepresentation of attendance figures and dismal performance record. How could they stay in business student loan debt by exploring refinancing options. for so long? Because ECOT and its executives contrib- uted heavily to the very politicians charged with ensuring which consumes upward of $1 billion every year incar- a quality public education for all children. The winners: cerating our 52,000 prisoners (the fourth highest in the ECOT executives and incumbent politicians. The losers: nation). thousands of school children who will forever be deprived of reaching their full potential. As Auditor, Zack will hold politicians,1 the Ohio Department of Education, bad-actor charter schools, and their sponsors accountable.

Fall 2018 77 OEA Endorsed Candidates Appearing on Ballots in the Central District

Governor/Lt. Governor Ohio Senate Ohio House Richard Cordray/Betty Sutton (D) SD 3 No Positio HD 17 Adam Miller (D) * U.S. Senate SD 5 Paul Bradley (D) HD 18 Kristin Boggs (D) * Sherrod Brown (D) SD 7 Sara Bitter (D) HD 19 Mary Lightbody (D) SD 15 Hearcel Craig (D) HD 20 Richard Brown (D) Attorney General Steve Dettelbach (D) SD 17 Bob Peterson (R) HD 21 No Position SD 19 Sandra Williams (D) * HD 22 David Leland (D) * Treasurer SD 31 Melinda Miller (D) HD 23 Russ Harris (D) Rob Richardson (D) HD 24 No Position Auditor State Board of Education HD 25 Bernadine Kent (D) * Zack Space (D) HD 26 Erica Crawley (D) District 2 Vicki Donovan-Lye Secretary of State District 3 Dawn Wojcik HD 27 Christine Fisher (D) Kathleen Clyde (D) District 4 Pat Burns HD 67 No Position HD 68 Rick Carfagna (R) Ohio Supreme Court District 8 Kathleen Purdy Judge Melody Stewart HD 71 No Position Judge Michael Donnelly * Endorsed as a friendly incumbent HD 72 Larry Householder (R) HD 74 Anne Gorman (D) HD 77 Brett Pransky (D) HD 78 Amber Daniels (D) HD 79 No Position HD 80 No Position HD 85 No Position HD 86 Glenn Coble (D) HD 87 No Position HD 91 No Position HD 92 Beth Workman (D)

Ohio House Districts (As Adopted 2012)

88 Fall 2018 Save Central Conferences the Diversity Conference Dates Central Power Up! Conference

Keep an eye out for registration on our website in the very near future, or sign up to receive our Advocates for Children and Education (ACE) emails at www.centraloeanea.org/ace.

Be a Part of the New Member Experiences NEA edCommunities Daniel Redman (Hilliard EA), OEA LGBTQ+ Chair Going into the NEA RA, I didn’t know much about what to expect. The thing about the RA is that you really can’t FULLY prepare yourself. You have to see it NEA’s edCommunities is the NEA online professional to believe it. practice and learning area where you can: Having recently taken over as the chairperson of the OEA LGBTQ+ Caucus, I attended the NEA LGBTQ+ CONNECT with virtual learning events to Caucus meetings for the first time, and saw for myself expand your PD opportunities! the advocacy groups and excitement of gay and allied educators all speaking passionately to their issues. COLLABORATE with other educators and education professionals! I had the chance to stand for those issues myself in the OEA State Caucus meetings each morning, first SHARE classroom-ready resources and seizing the microphone to introduce myself and drum assessment and instruction materials! up support for my own caucus, and then joining my Hilliard and Central colleagues in speaking to the social ENGAGE with those who share your justice issues we care about most. commitment to student success! It’s the formal, democratic debate that I loved most Joining NEA edCommunities means sharing your about this experience. There were the exciting mo- commitment and dedication through an open exchange ments in our State Caucus meetings where the OEA’s of strengths and resources with thousands of other steering committee made its recommendations about education professionals. It is free and open to all our stance on different new business items that would members: NEA edCommunities is driven by members be debated on the RA floor, and gave us a chance to to foster student success. speak in support or opposition to the proposals. There are a variety of groups addressing diverse There were fascinating moments on the RA floor education issues, including: when people from around the country would speak with dignity and honor about why different NBIs were good or bad for our students and educators. And there were beautiful and emotional moments as well, like Parkland survivor David Hogg sharing his thoughts and support with us in a powerful speech, the crowd chanting “America, hear our prayer.” Every day was long and full of hard work from nearly beginning to end, but those days each ended with amazing nights of bonding and growing closer to my www.nea.org/assets/docs/EDCommunities_ colleagues and friends. I feel we all left Minneapolis internal_Brochure.pdf knowing each other better as coworkers and as family, and I think that in many moments that week, we saw To get started, visit www.mynea360.org/NEA_GPS_ the best parts of ourselves come to life as we stood RegistrationPage#/registration. for what we believed in.

Fall 2018 9 Member Experience The Threat of a Sherise Thompson (Hilliard EA) One Page Contract

I am entering into my fifth year of teaching. I am a Kevin Griffin (Dublin EA), Central Vice President history teacher, and I understand the importance of everybody having a voice. In recent years I’ve heard stories from several teachers who used to teach in right-to-work states. I used to work as a caseworker who also had a union. I’ve heard the stories about the lack of support, The union was very uninvolved in the day-to-day high employee turnover, unrealistic expectations, processes of the average caseworker, leaving many unmanageable class sizes and students getting less feeling they did not want to be a part of it. So, when than they deserve. I became a teacher, I had that mindset. However, my local, district and state leaders were so welcoming and A few months ago, there were full-state teacher excited for me to join their ranks, it was completely strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona. different! The states of Georgia, Colorado, Kentucky and North Carolina experienced smaller strikes and I became a building rep my second year of teaching. statewide protests over compensation and working Through this process I was invited to a few district and conditions. The Oklahoma teacher of the year quit state meetings, seeing the work the union does was and moved to Texas because he “couldn’t make awe-inspiring. I attended my first Ohio RA two years ends meet.” ago and the NEA RA last year. At each, I had no idea what was happening, but I was so happy to be there How does education in an entire state, in the and learning. This year I finally found my voice to stand wealthiest country in the world, get so bad that up at a microphone and voice concerns, and to speak every teacher goes on strike? The answer is simple. about issues that were important to me. No union means no contract, or a really bad one.

This year I attended the NEA RA in Minneapolis. Look at the contract from South Carolina. It’s One of the first days of being in the city, hundreds of one page long, is mostly legalese (i.e., this is a teachers from across the country gathered in a protest contract, you must have a license, no criminal against the separation of families at the border. The record, etc.) and it gives the employee no rights passion that we have is what I have grown to love whatsoever. These teachers must do whatever the about being a part of our Union. administration says or they’ll lose their job.

I am now the secretary/treasurer for the OEA It even gives the district the right to reduce the LGBTQ+ Caucus, I belong to my local’s Organizing and teacher’s pay if necessary and “assign reasonable Executive Committees, Central’s Diversity Committee, extra-curricular activities.” Yes, you read that right: and OEA’s LGBTQ+ Caucus and Social and Racial “assign.” Think about it. Justice Committee. What’s more important than what is in the South Carolina contract is what is NOT in it: nothing Left - right: Dan Redman, Brittany Alexander, Sherise Thompson about healthcare, sick leave, personal days, and Tiffany Thomas. maternity leave, length of workday, transfers, class size, planning time, staff meetings, professional development or evaluations. For someone who has been working under a union-bargained contract, the lack of a comprehensive contract is almost unimaginable.

I believe educators are too important to be treated like second-class citizens. We are the experts. We are the ones with the training, the skills and the commitment to our students; and we deserve to have a voice about what happens in our classrooms. Don’t be fooled by anyone who tells you your union and your voice aren’t important. Ask any teacher in South Carolina. (https:// wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for- teachers/7159/)

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COMMUNIQUÉ Fall 2018

A UC TIO D N E k you A Than for g a Mem T D bein E ber H U V T ANK YO OC A

FOR BEING A MEMBER OF Association Benefits NEA Member Benefits Central OEA/NEA Liability Protection You are the true expert in education! Improving Professional Practice

You deserve a voice in how best to educate our students. Upcoming Events 11/9/18 Central All Area & Delegate Briefing We are here to support you. 12/1/18 OEA RA 2/9/19 Central Diversity Conference Adrienne & Kevin, 3/9/19 Central Power Up Conference Central Leadership Follow us! 12Centraloeanea.org Central OEA/NEA @Centraloeanea.org Fall 2018