DECEMBER 2015 OhioA PUBLICATIONSchools OF THE OHIO EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Lessons in living Through training, educators gain an understanding of the challenges of living in poverty. p14 Hilliard teachers Geoff Howard and Sara Barkley review their family’s tight finances during a poverty simulation at Hilliard Bradley High School. Everyone knows that buying in bulk is a better value. Whether it’s 5 gallons of mayonnaise or 100 rolls of toilet paper, when you purchase items in larger quantities, you tend to get a better deal. As an NEA member, you can buy auto and home insurance at a bulk-rate, too! That’s because you’re taking advantage of pricing and benefits based on the combined buying power of over 3,000,000 fellow NEA members. Members who switch save an average of $495 a year... now that’s a good deal! Call today to find out how much you could save. NEA® Auto and Home Insurance Program 1-888-744-9717 in partnership with AH381215 COVER STORY 14 Lessons in living OhioSchools Through training, educators gain VOL. 94 NO. 8 DECEMBER 2015 an understanding of the challenges The professional publication of more than of living in poverty. 121,000 members of the Ohio Education Association The OEA Mission Statement: FEATURE The OEA will lead the way for continuous improvement of public education while advocating for members and the learners they serve. 12 Ohio’s new Professional Development Standards OEA Board of Directors President Becky Higgins offer opportunities for Copley-Fairlawn learning based on photo by Eric Albrecht, Vice President Scott W. DiMauro Worthington educators’ real needs The Columbus Dispatch Secretary-Treasurer Tim Myers Elida Samuel Adu-Poku, Youngstown State University; Barb Armour, Brunswick; 17 Making connections Andrea Beeman, Maple Heights; Joy Bock, Groveport-Madison; Anne Bowles, Celebrated author and OEA 2016 Read Across America spokesperson Wooster; Kevin Cain, Northwest (Hamilton); Diana Charters, Ashtabula; Drew Daywalt connects kids to a world filled with imagination Michael Dossie, Bellaire; Lonnie Dusch, Princeton; Larry Ellis, Youngstown; Rob Fetters, Mt. Vernon; Joel Gleason, Clearview; Jorge González, Kings; and laughter. Amy Grittani, South-Western; Melanie Hameed, Warren; Soozie Hetterscheidt, Olentangy; Mark Hill, Worthington; John Howell-Sanchez, Columbus; Ella Jordan Isaac, Trotwood-Madison; Linna Jordan, Hilliard; Tammy Koontz, SCOPE; Brenda Lemon, Logan-Hocking;Theresa Lemus Santos, Fairless; DEPARTMENTS Sandra Lewis, Dayton; Debra Lipnos, Twinsburg; Thomas McOwen, Bethel-Tate; Teri Mackey, Wadsworth; Dwayne Marshall, Gahanna-Jefferson; 2 President’s Message Chris Menier, Danbury; Jerry Oberhaus, Liberty Center; Danielle Russo, Mentor; Breaking barriers Kecia Sanders-Stewart, East Cleveland; Bill Sears, OEA-Retired; Angela Stewart, Newcomerstown; Ty Tatman, Zane Trace; William Van Pelt, Belpre; Janice Vaughan, Springfield (Clark); Jeffrey Wensing, Parma; Karen Wright, 3 Notebook Wellington; Rhea Young, Washington. Reynoldsburg’s election success offers powerful example of why NEA Directors local school board elections matter Drew Boso, Youngstown State University; Robin Jeffries, Columbus; Brian McConnell, Warrensville Heights; Emilly Osterling, Lakota; Jeff Rhodes, North Royalton; Sophia Rodriguez, Coldwater; Gretchen Washington, Sycamore; 4 Extra Credit Hasheen Wilson, Youngstown State University. Staff Executives 5 OEA on the Web Sheryl Mathis, Executive Director; Susan Babcock, Assistant Executive Director—Strategic and Workforce Planning; Andrés Becerra, Director of Organizing; Jim Capehart, Director of Membership; Ric Castorano, Executive 6 Making the Grade Assistant—Business Services; Joe Cohagen, Controller; Dawn Elias, Human Field Local Schools’ Teresa Cianchetti named Ohio’s Resources Administrator; Linda Fiely, General Counsel; Rose Keller, Director of 2016 Teacher of the Year Legal Services; Dana Mayfield, Executive Assistant—Strategic and Workforce Planning; Parry Norris, Assistant Executive Director—Field; Patty Nyquist, Apply now for OEA scholarships and awards Director of Education Policy Research and Member Advocacy; Tina O’Donnell, Manager of Administrative Services—Operations; Carol Price, Conference 2016 OEA ESP Statewide Conference at OEA Headquarters & Elections Coordinator; Vacancy, Executive Assistant—General Counsel; Attend the February 4-6 OEA 2016 Collective Bargaining Conference Bev Sekella, Executive Assistant—Program/Field; Kristy Spires, Assistant Executive Director—Business Services; Jerrilyn Volz-Costell, Manager of Administrative Services—Governance; David Williams, Director of 10 Political Action Government Relations, Communications and Marketing; Patricia Collins OEA, NEA eye U.S. Supreme Court case Friedrichs v. CTA Murdock, Regional Director, Region 1; Kristin Johansson, Regional Director, Region 2; Jeanette Cooper, Regional Director, Region 3; Cristina Muñoz-Nedrow, 19 Legislative Update Regional Director, Region 4. OEA welcomes passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act Ohio Schools Editorial Staff Julie A. Newhall, Editor Association Gail Botz, Graphic Designer 21 Subscription price for public and university libraries is $18 per year. Delegates to OEA Fall Representative Assembly focus on key legislative Editorial Offices—Ohio Schools (ISSN: 0030-1086) is published seven times and political issues a year: February, April, June, August, September, October, December by the Ohio Education Association, 225 E. Broad St., Box 2550, Columbus, OH 43216. OEA Commission on Student Success works toward vision Email: [email protected]. Website: www.ohea.org. for high-quality public education Address all advertising or editorial correspondence to Editor, Ohio Schools. Doris L. Allen Minority Caucus marks 41 years Postmaster: Send address changes to Ohio Schools, Ohio Education Association, 225 E. Broad St., Box 2550, Columbus, OH 43216. Postage: OEA Board of Directors actions Periodicals paid at Columbus, OH. OEA staff news 28 Members in the Community Amelia teacher and student coordinate community Thanksgiving celebration www.ohea.org www.facebook.com/ohioeducationassociation www.twitter.com/ohioea PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Breaking barriers IT’S TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFECT OF POVERTY ON LEARNING AND TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT HELP OUR STUDENTS. hat same day, I visited a Michael Rebell of the Campaign school with towels stuffed for Educational Equity at Columbia in windowsills because the University’s Teachers College offers windows leak into classrooms a prescription policymakers should Twhen it rains. Another school had heed: “We have to give them temporary classrooms without (students) quality teachers, small phones for teachers to use in the class sizes, up-to-date equipment. event of an emergency. I witnessed But in addition—if we’re serious— A few weeks ago I found a student run out of one of those we have to do things that overcome myself driving behind a classrooms, and the teacher had to the damages of poverty. We have to school bus in eastern Ohio. make a choice—run after the student, meet their health needs, their mental leaving the class unattended, or health needs, after-school programs, At the first stop, a little girl stay and hope the student was OK. summer programs, parent engage- got off the bus and crossed The issue of poverty and its effect ment and early-childhood services. the street. I watched to see on a student’s ability to learn gets too These are the so-called wraparound little attention when discussion turns services. Some people think of them where she was going because to improving public education. It’s an as add-ons. They’re not. They’re I couldn’t see a house. She issue many at the statehouse and the imperative.” walked up a wooded hillside Ohio Department of Education don’t Making sufficient investments want to contend with. in our public schools is essential. and into a structure that didn’t Numerous studies have shown But making the connection between look like a place anyone that America’s public school students poverty and an educator’s ability to should live. are in fact doing better than their teach and a student’s ability to learn peers in other parts of the world. when basic human needs are not At the next stop, another But it’s the students at the top of the being met is also crucial. socio-economic ladder that are doing Across Ohio, educators are student walked to a house that better. The kids at the bottom aren’t gaining an understanding of the looked like it had been made doing so well, and that’s a problem challenges of living in poverty by of drywall and some wire. because most of America’s students participating in training, collaborating are poor. on programs to help the hungry, and We drove past a group of For the first time in at least finding ways to overcome barriers to houses with what appeared 50 years, a majority of U.S. public student success. school students come from low- No child chooses poverty. But we to be a corrugated metal income families, according to a new can choose to make a difference on roof. Three men stood on analysis of 2013 federal data. their behalf. top—dirty, weary and worn— According to 2015 Kids Count Finding solutions to poverty data, 591,000 Ohio children— requires each of us to acknowledge looking like one of Margaret 23 percent—live in poverty. the severity of the issue, to take action Bourke-White’s photographs It’s a reality that has profound in any way that we can, and to force of the Great Depression. We implications. the discussion so real solutions are The growing inequality in our developed and implemented. continued on the road lined state and nation is a problem that We owe this to our students and with dilapidated houses where must be addressed. But so far, we’ve our profession. our precious students live. heard a lot of talk but little action. What does it take to give students who live in poverty a meaningful education? Becky Higgins 2 OEA President photo by Russ Harris NOTEBOOK Reynoldsburg members, left to right, Wayne Kanzigg, Jodi Fabish-Greene and Barb Pfan, November 3 may have seemed on strike in 2014. like just another off-election year election day. Ohioans didn’t turn out to vote for the next U.S.