retired

Education News for 01-11-2013

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State Education News

  • Ohio’s public schools rate 12th in U.S. with B- grade (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Ohio’s public school system earned a better grade on the nation’s report card this year, but the state’s rank — fifth in the nation three years ago — fell to 12th…Read more...

Local Education News

  • Groveport schools offer 12 options for levy (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Groveport Madison school officials took their first steps to place a levy on the May ballot at last night’s school board meeting…Read more...

  • Huber Heights schools to cut 108 jobs, 64 teachers (Dayton Business Journal)

    • The board of the Huber Heights school district voted to cut 108 jobs and 64 teachers, according to WDTN-TV 2…Read more...

  • Lakota saves $1.5M after cuts to art, music (Hamilton Journal-News)

    • Elementary students within Lakota are getting less exposure this school year to subjects, including art and music…Read more...

  • Retired teacher group offering grants to current teachers (Lima News)

    • The Allen County Retired Teachers Association is accepting project proposals for teacher grants the group began giving last year…Read more...

  • Casino money: Not enough help for local schools (New Philadelphia Times)

    • Joe Edinger, superintendent of East Holmes Local Schools in Berlin, doesn’t plan on spending the $39,677.15 his district will receive as its share of state casino-tax revenue…Read more...

  • District facing state oversight (Springfield News-Sun)

    • Tecumseh Local Schools must further cut expenses and increase revenues or face a projected $1.6 million deficit and fiscal caution status in 2014, the state education department told the district this week…Read more...

  • Mathews student charged after describing school shootings as ‘easy’ (Youngstown Vindicator)

    • Two buddies from Mathews High School were arraigned Wednesday on felony charges — one accused of making remarks that caused panic at the high school, the other accused of vandalizing a teacher’s house in Niles last week…Read more...

Editorial

  • Disruptive students (Akron Beacon Journal)

    • Tamika Williams has a problem. And so, unfortunately, does the Akron Public Schools, which has the responsibility to ensure a learning environment that is safe for all staff and students, including angry, young ones like Tamika…Read more...

  • Fine could have helped Jackson kids (Canton Repository)

    • Judge had noble idea, but ex-coach’s victims may need counseling, too. Scott D. Studer pleaded guilty last month for videotaping Jackson High School student athletes in the showers…Read more...

Due process protects you

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A retired teacher sent this short note to us about the dangers of SB5 removing due process protections. Yet andother reason why SB5 is unfair.

I began my teaching career when collective bargaining did not exist in Ohio. I witnessed a situation where an excellent teacher (later Maine teacher of the year) was accused by a student of an inappropriate action. The student was under intensive psychiatric care at the time. Without (or even with) witnesses, this 10 year teacher was given the choice to resign or be fired. No hearing or due process was legally required without collective bargaining. Every colleague was confidant that the accusation was groundless. With no options, this professional moved on, at great loss to our profession.

Without due process rights anyone can find themselves in this same situation because of an argument with the principal, because of age or health concerns, or because of assigning a student a grade that disagrees with a parent's assessment. Negotiating working conditions, and not just salary, improves our professional contributions, improves our advocacy for students, and improves our health and safety on the job, as well as the health and safety of our students.

Kim Cellar
Retired teacher

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