Thousands of free books distributed to Lima-area students at Ohio Education Association’s Summer Celebration of Diverse Readers
The Ohio Education Association, Lima Education Association, City of Lima, and many other community partners joined forces for this huge book giveaway, which was held as part of the Read Across America year-round Celebrate a Nation of Diverse Readers initiative. OEA was also pleased to donate diverse books to the Lima City Schools book vending machine program.
“When our children can read stories about people of all races, backgrounds, genders, and abilities, they can begin a journey of self-discovery and see the world in new ways,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “The Ohio Education Association is incredibly grateful for all of our partners who made this year’s event so successful and who share in our mission to spark a lifelong love of learning and reading in the students we serve.”
In addition to allowing families to pick out age-appropriate diverse books with their children, the Summer Celebration of Diverse Readers also featured free food, free family activities, and entertainment, including a Reader’s Corner, where local authors and community leaders shared diverse books out loud. Families were also able to learn about valuable community resources thanks to the participation of numerous other organizations, including the Lima Fire Department, Lima Police Department, Lima Public Library, Bradfield Community Center, Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum, and many others.
“As educators, nothing is more rewarding than seeing our students learn, grow, and thrive. This year’s Summer Celebration of Diverse Readers empowered our students to continue growing their minds over this school break and come back to us ready to learn in the fall,” said Lima Education Association President Paulette Boes. “To all of our partners who made this big community event possible for our students and their families, we say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Photos from Thursday’s event are available for use in media coverage on OEA’s Facebook page. More information is available at www.ohea.org/diversereaders
Ohio Education Association members elect new President and Vice President
New OEA Executive Director also set to assume role in July
[COLUMBUS – May 12, 2025] Ohio Education Association local association delegates met over the weekend at OEA’s Representative Assembly, the organization’s governing body. They elected Parma Education Association member Jeff Wensing to a three-year term as OEA President, and Sylvania Education Association member Dan Greenberg to a three-year term as Vice President. Both will take office on July 15, 2025.Wensing, OEA’s current Vice President, is a high school math teacher in Parma City Schools and has been an education advocate and leader for over 30 years. Wensing previously served as president of the Parma Education Association and as president of the Northeastern Ohio Education Association (NEOEA).
Greenberg is a 28-year high school English teacher who has served as president of the Sylvania Education Association for the past ten years. Greenberg has also served as a National Education Association Director, OEA Director, and vice president of the Northwest Ohio Education Association (NWOEA).
OEA is also pleased to announce that Airica Clay has been named the organization’s new Executive Director, effective July 1, 2025. Clay joined the OEA staff 17 years ago as a Labor Relations Consultant supporting members in the field before becoming OEA’s Assistant Executive Director – Member Advocacy in 2021, serving under OEA Executive Director Patricia Collins, who retired in December, and Interim Executive Director Dan Burkhalter. A proud product of East Cleveland public schools, Clay brings invaluable experience in collective bargaining, advocacy, organizing, as well as labor and employment law to her new role as OEA Executive Director.
“As OEA welcomes new leadership, I am confident about the future of our organization and public education in our state,” said current OEA President Scott DiMauro, who is term-limited after serving two terms in office. “Ohio’s public school educators and their students are in great hands with Airica Clay, Jeff Wensing, Dan Greenberg, and OEA Secretary-Treasurer Rob McFee’s talents, passion, and leadership energizing and empowering members to stand together for the great public schools Ohio’s students deserve – no exceptions.”
House Budget Disregards Educational Future of Majority of Ohio’s Children
The All in for Ohio Kids Coalition released the following statement about the Ohio House of Representatives substitute budget bill, HB 96:
“Over the last two months, Ohioans from big cities, small towns and rural communities came together to protect our children’s future. They made phone calls, sent letters, met with legislators, testified at the Statehouse, and organized local days of action. They made clear that they value public education and want the state to pay its fair share.
The sub bill presented by the House Finance Chair Brian Stewart today completely disregards their concerns and the wellbeing of the nearly 90% of Ohio children who attend a public school. Four years ago, lawmakers from both parties promised to fully implement the Fair School Funding Plan in the 2026-2027 state budget. Doing so will increase funding for 95% of school districts and maintain funding levels for the other 5%.
The House budget throws the Fair School Funding Plan out the window, pulling the rug out from students and from districts that need a reliable source of funding to make long term plans. While Rep. Stewart claims that the state can’t afford full and fair school funding, the House budget proposal would direct more public dollars toward a new voucher for non-chartered, private schools which follow practically no state guidelines on student safety or academics.
Members of our coalition spoke up for children with special needs who depend on public schools to give them the support they need to learn. They called for a school funding system that breaks down barriers and helps more children live up to their full potential. And they reminded legislators of their duty to make sure schools in their districts can afford to educate all the students they serve. We will continue to show up at the Statehouse, call our lawmakers and hold local meetings until lawmakers finally live up to the promise our state constitution makes to our children.”
See how the Fair School Funding Plan would help any Ohio school district with this new tool.
ABOUT ALL IN FOR OHIO KIDS
The All in For Ohio Kids Coalition formed in 2021 to ensure that every child in Ohio, no matter their race, zip code, or how much money their family has, can attend a great public school that prepares them for a bright future. The coalition is anchored by the Ohio Education Association, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and Policy Matters Ohio.
All In For Ohio Kids Launches New Tool Showing Impact of Fully Funded Fair School Funding Plan
Please see the following statement from our partners in the All in for Ohio Kids coalition about a press event Wednesday morning to launch a new online searchable data tool that allows Ohioans to compare what their local school district is receiving in the state budget vs. what their school district should receive if the Fair School Funding Plan were fully implemented, as intended, with updated costs in the formula.
COLUMBUS — Today, the All In for Ohio Kids coalition hosted a virtual press conference to unveil an interactive tool that illustrates the impact of the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) on each Ohio school district.
The Fair School Funding Explorer highlights the stark differences between the funding levels before the FSFP implementation began four years ago, state funding for school districts now, and what each district should receive with the full implementation of an up-to-date FSFP that reflects the actual costs of providing all public school students with the high-quality education they deserve. The Explorer page also links to fact sheets outlining proposed cuts to funding for 349 Ohio school districts under Governor DeWine’s proposed budget, which uses a broken school funding formula.
The press conference featured coalition members and key education stakeholders, including:
- Bria Bennett, Ohio Organizing Collaborative, Communications Director
- Ali Smith, Policy Matters Ohio, Operations Specialist
- Sharyn Ficyk, Paraprofessional, member of OAPSE 160, Parma City School District
- Kia Reyes Woodward, Social worker and Parent in Columbus City Schools
- Matt Cameron, High School Social Studies Teacher, Georgetown Exempted Village Schools, Member of Georgetown Federation of Teachers
- Gina Daniels, American Studies Teacher, Licking Heights Local School District, Member of Licking Heights Education Association
The coalition reiterated its call for Ohio lawmakers to fully implement the FSFP using updated cost data. While Gov. DeWine claims his budget completes the phase-in, it neglects updated cost estimates, resulting in a projected $103 million cut to K-12 public education, including $95 million less for students with special needs.
The newly launched tool provides side-by-side comparisons of pre-FSFP funding, current funding, and the full implementation of the FSFP. Users can explore how their district would benefit from full funding and envision the opportunities additional investment could provide.
Quotes from Community Voices
“I am here today because I am concerned about Governor DeWine’s proposed $95 million budget cuts. Budget cuts will adversely affect K-12 special education services over the next two years, including $1.13 million from my school district.” – Sharyn Ficyk, Paraprofessional, member of OAPSE 160, Parma City School District
“I am very upset that Gov. DeWine is now trying to cut almost $40 million from Columbus City Schools in this next budget cycle, even though the community and school district rallied around the students to say “Yes, we want better for our kids.” – Kia Reyes Woodward, Social worker and Parent in Columbus City Schools
“What we really are asking for and what we really need from our state legislature is to just heed common sense.” – Matt Cameron, High School Social Studies Teacher, Georgetown Exempted Village Schools, Member of Georgetown Federation of Teachers
“Public education is where strong community starts. Our priorities, as a state, need to be on the vast majority of Ohio’s young people who receive their education through the public school system. This is not the time to cut those supports for our children.” – Gina Daniels, American Studies Teacher, Licking Heights Local School District, Member of Licking Heights Education Association
A full recording of the press conference is available here. Additional videos of comments from parents and educators in other school districts across the state about the importance of fair school funding can be found here.
Explore the Fair School Funding Plan tool: https://www.allinforohiokids.com/fsfp-explorer
For more information on the Fair School Funding Plan and the coalition’s efforts, visit www.allinforohiokids.org.
President Trump’s Executive Order on Department of Education
COLUMBUS — Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro released the following statement Thursday in response to President Trump’s new Executive Order aimed at dismantling the US Department of Education:
Ohio’s Education Unions: Ohio Senate Ignores Public Input and Passes Destructive SB 1
COLUMBUS — Leaders of Ohio’s three largest educator unions, the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors (OCAAUP), the Ohio Federation of Teachers, and the Ohio Education Association, released statements today about the Ohio Senate’s vote to pass SB 1, a far-reaching bill that subjects Ohio’s public colleges and universities to legislative micro-management, more than 100 unfunded administrative mandates, content bans, and restrictions on collective bargaining rights.
OCAAUP Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick:
OFT President Melissa Cropper:
OEA President Scott DiMauro:
All three leaders thank Senators Catherine Ingram, Casey Weinstein, Kent Smith, and Bill DeMora for offering amendments to SB 1, and thank the bipartisan minority of the Senate that voted against the Bill. SB1 is the worst attack on organized labor since SB 5 in 2011, and the bill is broadly opposed by Ohio labor unions.
OEA members, leaders rallying to protect public schools
Ohio Education Association members, leaders meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as the Education Secretary Nominee testifies before Congress
[WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 12, 2025] Ahead of the confirmation hearing for U.S. Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon, Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro is joining other local educators, parents, and community leaders on Capitol Hill to advocate for Ohio students and their public schools. DiMauro will join hundreds of educators, parents, students, and members of Congress at a rally on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 4:15 p.m. EST to lobby members of Congress and stand up for students by fighting against the effort to dismantle the Department of Education, pass universal vouchers and cut vital services Ohio students depend on in their public schools.The rally comes at a pivotal moment, as the Trump administration attempts to advance policies that would eliminate essential support and protections for students, increase class sizes, and divert funds away from hundreds of local public school districts across our state. DiMauro joins local advocates and others across the country in speaking out against Executive Orders that will strip resources from vulnerable students, including those with disabilities, and make higher education more expensive for future generations.
The following day, McMahon is scheduled to appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. EST, the first hurdle in the cabinet nomination process.
WHY IT MATTERS LOCALLY:
Students in every community across Ohio benefit from programs run by the Department of Education, especially lower-income students in rural, suburban, and urban communities; students who qualify for federal grants or loans to receive career training or attend 2- and 4-year colleges; and students with disabilities. In our Ohio communities, these proposed cuts would directly affect local schools, impacting funding, educational opportunities, and support systems for students who rely on vital services.
- More than 808,000 students in Ohio receive Title I funds from the Department of Education. Ohio public schools would lose around $700 million in vital funding to hire teachers and other school support staff.
- Losing federal dollars would further exacerbate the educator shortages plaguing Ohio public schools, causing students’ class sizes to balloon.
- Special education programs will suffer with the loss of more than $550 million that goes to Ohio students. Ohio educators and parents expect elected officials to prioritize our students’ futures and strengthen our public schools, so they remain a cornerstone of opportunity and equality.
BACKGROUND:
The Trump administration’s early EOs have already undermined civil rights protections for students, eroded access to essential educational resources, and escalated threats to the foundation of public education. The rally comes ahead of the confirmation hearing for Linda McMahon, a nominee whose policies are seen by many as part of an extreme agenda to dismantle public education and attack students’ rights.
Only Congress has the power to abolish the Education Department, and the vast majority of Congress— including Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH 10), Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH 14), and 58 other House Republicans—rejected gutting public education last session, knowing it would only hurt students and is deeply unpopular with parents and educators.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
To schedule an interview with Ohio educators in Washington this week or with other educators in different communities around Ohio, please contact Katie Olmsted at olmstedk@ohea.org or by calling or texting her at (614)560-6299. Photos from the rally Wednesday afternoon and district and statewide federal funding data are also available by request.
Ohio’s Education Unions Call for Amendments to SB 1
COLUMBUS — Ohio’s three largest educator unions are asking the Ohio Senate to delay an expected vote on SB 1 until there has been time for stakeholder input and consideration of amendments submitted by the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors (OCAAUP).
The Ohio Education Association (OEA) and the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) join OCAAUP in supporting these amendments to SB 1, a far-reaching bill that subjects Ohio’s public colleges and universities to legislative micro-management, more than 100 unfunded administrative mandates1, content bans, and restrictions on collective bargaining rights. The amendments were submitted to SB 1 sponsor Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) and the Ohio Senate Higher Education Committee on February 6.
“As Senate Bill 1 moves forward, we’re calling on legislators to consider and adopt amendments that would mitigate the potential harm of this bill and help find some common ground on these issues,” said OCAAUP Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick. “Students are rightfully concerned that SB 1 will drive up the cost of tuition and put limits on what they can learn and discuss; faculty are concerned about an erosion of their rights at work and a climate of fear that would chill academic freedom; and Ohioans across the state are concerned about degrading local institutions that provide economic and cultural benefits to their communities. There are common sense adjustments that can be made to this bill to alleviate many of these concerns.”
To address concerns about workers’ rights, the proposed amendments would:
- Eliminate language that prohibits faculty from negotiating over fundamental collective bargaining subjects and removes their right to strike over unfair treatment.
- Remove the section on post-tenure review that allows for tenured faculty to be terminated at any time without due process.
To address concerns about academic freedom, the proposed amendments would:
- Revise language on “intellectual diversity” to clarify that faculty fully maintain academic freedom and are not forced to teach ideas about which there is no consensus within their academic discipline.
- Modify the American civic literacy course section to allow instructors to have control of the curriculum, as is required for accreditation.
- Delete the broad definition of “retrenchment,” which as written would grant administrators unlimited authority to shut down academic programs and layoff faculty at whim.
To address concerns about unfunded mandates and administrative micro-managing, the proposed amendments would:
- Modify the faculty evaluation section to allow boards of trustees to maintain or modify current evaluation systems that are already in place.
- Remove the section on degree program elimination, which contains arbitrary metrics, and replace it with a proposal to study the issue.
- Eliminate language banning programs and services for underrepresented students.
- Allow universities to post general syllabi online for public information instead of overly detailed syllabi.
“Ohio’s public colleges and universities are cornerstones of our communities and essential drivers of our economy. They’re too important to subject them to major policies without taking the time to stop and see if improvements can be made,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro. “We’re asking the Senate to pump the brakes and make this bill better.”
To allow public participation and meaningful consideration of these amendments, the unions are asking that Senators refrain from voting on SB 1 this week.
“As currently written, SB 1 will put Ohio’s world-class system of higher education at risk by stifling academic freedom, raising administrative costs, impeding recruitment and retention of talented faculty, and pushing more young adults out of Ohio,” said Melissa Cropper, OFT President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Ohio AFL-CIO. “The Senate can avert the worst of these risks by taking the time to consider amendments and make this bill better.”
SB1 is the worst attack on organized labor since SB 5 in 2011, and the bill is broadly opposed by Ohio labor unions.
1 SB 1 would add 105 additional usages of the word “shall” to the Ohio Revised Code.