Due to the uncertainty surrounding state and federal funding, educators in Ohio are speaking out about the impact budget cuts will have on their districts, the value of public education for communities and families, and the necessity of strengthening schools to put children’ futures first.
With state and federal budgets giving public schools uncertain futures, Tracy Radich, a teacher in Cleveland Public Schools for 31 years, has never felt the need to fight for public school financing as strongly as she has this year.
According to Radich, who has worked her entire career at Joseph M. Gallagher School, where she teaches third grade, “having everything up in the air and how we prepare and think about what might happen next school year makes me very fearful and very worried for the future of my school, my students.”
As public schools, which teach 90% of the state’s student population, wait anxiously to see what will happen to their funding, Radich joins several public school advocates in questioning the funding of private school voucher programs in Ohio, which totaled over $1 billion last year.
The state legislature is now working on the state budget, but there has been much discussion about whether or not funding for a model that has been in place for years—referred to by supporters as the Fair School Funding Plan—will continue to be available for its final round of phase-in funding.
Although the last phase-in of financing was included in Governor Mike DeWine’s executive budget, public education activists criticized the governor for not include inflation inputs in the final round of spending, and members of the Republican supermajority have questioned whether the plan is sustainable.
At a League of Women Voters of Ohio event, former state representative John Patterson, one of the funding model’s creators, even stated that excluding inflation inputs would cause the formula to get disrupted and raise public expenditures.
Rallies and days of action are opportunities to increase awareness of what public school teachers do for the great majority of students in the state, according to Dan Fray, an English-Language Arts teacher and educational technology instructor with Toledo Public Schools in middle school.
According to Fray, we become teachers to assist pupils learn, not to make money or accomplish anything else. We didn’t become teachers in this day and age to be scolded or informed that what we’re doing is incorrect.
On March 4, Radich and Fray will participate in a day of action where teachers who belong to their local teachers unions, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of Teachers will advocate for education as the spending priority they believe it should be. This will help raise awareness of their cause.
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At Radich’s school, the activity will begin early in the morning with a celebration line of teachers greeting kids and informing parents about how change in funding would affect their child’s education.
Some educators will go outside in Toledo, where, according to Fray, posters will let people know their goals. Teachers’ blue shirts also demonstrate their commitment to maintaining public education.
We’re not demonstrating to express our disapproval of the governor, the budget, or anything similar, Fray stated; rather, we’re protesting to highlight the importance of education and our place within it.
According to Fray, the perception of educators’ roles has deteriorated with time, especially in the legislature. He and Radich concur that standardized testing has taken center stage, regardless of the different requirements of school districts throughout the state.
According to Radich, these high-stakes examinations don’t actually help since by the time the results are in, my students have already advanced to the next grade. Although they reprimand schools and notify the state, they do little to assist the pupils.
To the disadvantage of teaching and education in general, Fray believes that state testing has influenced educational choices to the point where the globe is unquestionably a teach-to-the-test environment.
Teachers argue that expanding private school vouchers and basing legislative and budgetary decisions on test scores that don’t provide a complete picture of education miss the point of education and go against numerous state supreme court rulings directing the state to restore an equitable and comprehensive educational system.
“It just seems like that keeps getting ignored from the perspective of a classroom teacher, and now not only does it seem like it’s ignored, but they’re thumbing their nose at it,” Fray added.
Since Ohio’s school districts get an average of roughly 10% of their money from the federal government, disruptions to the federal contribution to the state’s education budget might cause even greater issues for the system.
People probably don’t realize how cuts made in Washington, D.C., will immediately affect thousands of youngsters in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as in rural and metropolitan areas across the globe. “Oh,” answered Radich.
In order to interact with members of Congress and advocate against reforms or the potential dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, several educators from Ohio had to go to Washington, D.C., and stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol earlier this month.
The goal of those who traveled to Washington was to influence decision-makers against planned changes to education department programs, particularly those that assist lower-income children through Title I financing and those who are eligible for federal career training, college grants, and loans.
The Ohio Education Association claims that over 800,000 students in the state are eligible for Title I funding, and that the proposed federal changes will cost Ohio’s special education programs about $550 million.
The Ohio Education Association said in a statement after the march in Washington that parents and educators in Ohio demand elected officials to put our students’ futures first and make public schools stronger so they continue to be a pillar of equality and opportunity.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.