Publication for Members of Central OEA/NEA • Scott DiMauro, PresidentApril 2012

COMMUNIQUÉ

On Friday March 2, around 100 members of Central OEA/NEA gathered for a panel discussion on education reform. A first for Central, the panel discussed a range of topics including Q&A from the audience, and shared a few light-hearted moments.

Moderated by Central Presi-dent Scott DiMauro, the panelists included former Representative Stephen Dyer from the think tank Innovation Ohio; Greg Mild, a Columbus teacher and education policy writer for Plunderbund.com; and teachers Donna O’Connor and Tanyce Addison, who are running for election to the 130th Ohio General As-sembly.

The very first question ad-dressed the urgent topic of school funding. Mr. Dyer opened with an apt analogy, “People are expecting a Cadillac when they are pay-ing for a Chevy.” Continu-ing with a new metaphor he explained, “That’s part of the problem we have gotten into right now. At

Understanding, Embracing, and Supporting Education Reform

It’s Our Profession...

some point there’s just not enough food for even the most adaptive creatures to survive. And the ones say-ing the cupboards are bare are the ones who raided the cupboards.”

Donna O’Connor added, “I have to believe that people around the state believe public education is a public good. So part of the conver-sation I’m having on door-steps is asking what makes our communities great? If we don’t support public education, if we don’t sup-port the thinkers, creators, innovators, if we don’t support them right now in school, what future do we have?”

One can’t talk about educa-tion policy in Ohio without the topic of charter schools coming up, and it was char-ters and vouchers that the panel turned to next.

On those issues Tanyce Addison was quite passion-ate. “What scares me more than anything is the attack on what public education is.” Reflecting on how

privatization proponents have organized their efforts over the years, she added, “When you look back, I think this was the plan all along. We have to do a better job of saying they’re wrong.”

Greg Mild added, “I think lately, there’s been a lot of hypocrisy. Push performance-based pay for educators, close ‘fail-ing’ public schools, replace them with charters, and then you see White Hat opening two new schools and hiding their numbers. If you look at their record and give them a grade based on their academic performance index, their GPA was 1.07!

And they were still given two more schools.”

Charters are approximately a $760 million program. While 5.5% of students go to charters, they receive 11% of state education dollars. “A parent’s choice to put a child in a charter school should not adversely affect another child in a public school,” noted Dyer.

On the topic of teacher evaluations, there was a passionate consensus that too many legislators fail to comprehend realities of teaching and learning. Dyer noted that “it just proves they don’t understand kids.

Panelists Greg Mild, a Columbus teacher and education policy writer for Plunderbund,com, Former Representative Stephen Dyer from Innovation Ohio, and teachers Donna O’Connor and Tanyce Addison.

continued on page 2

April 2012

2

Volume 40, Number 5 • April 2012

COMMUNIQUÉPublished six times a year as a service of

CENTRAL OEA/NEA, INC.947 Goodale Blvd.Columbus, OH 43212

Scott DiMauro, President

Diana Ball, Vice President

Kevin Griffin, Executive Board Liaison

Russell Hughlock, Coordinator of Communications and Organizing

Editors Ann Eblin, Judy Furnas & Carla NollFiscal Manager Mark MeuserProduction Patti DeglerPhotography Mary Jo ArmstrongDesign Pam McClung

Voice 614-222-8228Fax 614-222-8218E-mail Communique@centraloeanea.org

In Case You Missed ItBy Russell Hughlock, Coordinator of Communications and Organizing

www.jointhefuture.org/blog

www.facebook.com/jointhefuture

www.twitter.com/JointheFutureOH

It’s Our Professioncontinued from page 1

By checking out Join the Future’s daily news clip service at www.jointhefuture.org/education-news staying up-to-date on all the latest state education policy and news has never been so easy.

Here are some of the top stories you might have missed.

Daily Education News Clips from around the statehttp://www.jointhefuture.org/education-news

School Principals Swamped By Teacher Evaluationshttp://www.jointhefuture.org/blog/644-school-principals-swamped-by-teacher-evaluations

Do Politicians Know Anything About Schools and Education? Anything? http://www.jointhefuture.org/blog/664-do-politicians-know-anything-about-schools-and-education-anything

Ways you can join thousands of educators and public education supporters who follow and contribute to Join the Future every day:

Teachers need to know they aren’t going to be dinged on their evaluation for being creative. What is it measuring, performance or demographics?” Addison added, “We know it’s wrong. It’s wrong to evaluate teachers the way they have set it up. You can’t ask a doctor to be re-sponsible for every patient who doesn’t follow the rules. It’s not logical. “

The night ended with a cau-tion and warning, echoed by the panelists. “It’s important to remember in November.”

“The fewer 2010s we have, the better off public education is going to be. The energy felt in 2011 is the energy that needs to be felt in every year. Don’t give up, don’t let up. Fight for your kids.”

Friday night’s session drew nearly 100 members for the panel discussion.

Greg Carr and Jeff Yaw, teachers from Lakota, entertained Conference participants following lunch on Saturday.

April 2012 April 2012

3

Which word in the title of this article concerns you the most? Performance? Data? Accountability? What we know as educa-tors in public schools is that students have the right to learn at high levels, and we truly have high expecta-tions that they will do so. What we also know is that one test one day does not show everything a child has demonstrated learning on over the course of a school year.

With all that we know, we also are learning more about the use of student performance data as new legislation such as House Bill 153 strives to tie evalu-ation to student growth. What this will look like will depend upon the collective decisions you are able to make within your district. This calls for a new un-derstanding or a renewed understanding of what exactly it is that Ohio’s Accountability System tells you and, quite frankly, what it doesn’t.

Now more than ever we need to be informed regarding the needs of Education Support Profes-sionals, Data and Assess-ment, Teacher Evaluation, and Educator Licensure. As partners in teaching and learning, the Central OEA/NEA Instruction and Professional Development Committee offered focused sessions regarding these issues at the Win-

ter Leadership Conference on March 3.

We must

continue to be at the table with administrators and leg-islators. Are you currently accessing the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS)? Are your administrators? Are you aware of how to read and understand Value-Added reports? Being able to discuss how you have analyzed and used data to make instructional decisions is an expectation of

the Standards for Ohio’s Educators and is integrated into the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System.

Student performance data through EVAAS should be analyzed along with the Item Analysis informa-tion available on the Ohio Online Assessment Report-ing System (OOARS). Do you know how to navigate through OOARS? Through an understanding of these two systems we can have meaningful conversations with students, parents, colleagues, administrators, and legislators. We must be able to articulate the appropriate use of student data in Ohio’s Accountabil-ity System while continuing to meet the standards for Ohio’s educators.

So, which word concerns you the most? Perfor-mance? Data? Accountabil-ity? Knowing more about what they mean in Ohio and for your local will allow you to address concerns in a productive way and to build capacity within the Association.

Members of Central’s IPD Committee will be present-ing the information from the Winter Leadership Conferences at local association meetings in the Central area. If you are interested in having one of the sessions in your school district, contact IPD Chairperson Barry Alcock at barry.alcock@centraloeanea.org or ipd@centraloeanea.org.

Student Performance Data and Ohio’s Accountability SystemBy Patty Nyquist, Dublin Educators Association

The OEA Summer Lead-ership Academy is being held on August 6-8, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Co-lumbus. Central OEA/NEA is providing scholarships that will cover the $100 conference registration fee and lodging for Mon-day and Tuesday nights (August 6 & 7).

To apply for a scholarship to fund your registration fee and hotel accommo-dations for Monday and Tuesday nights, log on to the Central Web site at www.centraloeanea.org and click on the link under the article on the home page titled “Scholarships Available for OEA Sum-mer Leadership Acad-emy.”

Registration for the Conference and hotel reservations are through OEA directly.

Scholarships Available for OEA Summer Leadership Academy

3

April 2012

4

Central Representative Assembly Scheduled for April 14, 2012Central OEA/NEA’s annual Representative Assembly (RA) will be held at Thomas Worthington High School, 300 W. Granville Road, Worthington 43085 (please note the change in location from the previous year’s Assembly). All local delegates elected to the OEA Representative Assembly (May 11-12) are delegates to the Central RA.

The agenda will include elections of the president and vice president, two representatives to the OEA Board of Direc-tors, and three Central Area Representatives. Also on the agenda will be endorsement of OEA Statewide candidates, the adoption of the 2012-13 Central budget, a collection for the OEA Fund for Children and Public Education, and debate on any business items presented by the delegates.

Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. and close promptly at 9:30 a.m. President DiMauro expects to call the Assembly to order at 9:00 a.m. Coffee and doughnuts will be available at 8:00 a.m., and a buffet lunch will be served to all del-egates and guests at noon.

In addition to the officers, the following positions will be filled by election at the Central OEA/NEA RA on Saturday, April 12, 2012:

OEA Board of Directors, Central Unit 1 – currently held by Wil Vickery (Board appointed) – remainder of unexpired term ending August 31, 2012.

OEA Board of Directors, Central Unit 1 – term of office begins September 1, 2012 and ends August 31, 2015.

OEA Board of Directors, Central Unit 5 – currently held by Steve Colahan – term of office begins September 1, 2012 and ends August 31, 2015.

Central Area 4 Representative – currently held by David Jardot – term of office begins September 1, 2012 and ends August 31, 2015.

Central Area 5 Representative/1 – currently held by Mary Kennedy (Board appointed) – term of office begins September 1, 2012 and ends August 31, 2015.

Central Area 5 Representative/2 – currently held by Rick Strater – term of office begins September 1, 2012 and ends August 31, 2015.

Nominations for the above positions will be taken from the floor of the RA on April 14. We encourage interested and enthusiastic members who are qualified to serve in one of these leadership positions to run for office at the RA.

Growth and Development Grant Applications Due April 19Want to improve your local’s effectiveness? Want to do this through activities that would occur early in the 2012-2013 school year (August, September, or October)? Then apply for a Central OEA/NEA Growth and Development Grant. Applications are due by April 19, 2012.

The Finance Committee will review the grant applications, make recommendations to the Central Executive Board, and the Board will approve grant requests before the end of the current school year.

The Growth and Development Grant application and more information are available on the Central Web site at www.centraloeanea.org. If you have questions, please contact Andre Prenoveau, Central OEA/NEA Projects Manager at pm@centraloeanea.org.

April 2012 April 2012

5

The Minority Leadership Training Program (MLTP) prepares ethnic minor-ity members to be strong leaders and activists in their Associations, schools, and communities.

Held prior to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Confer-ence in Arlington, Virginia, this year’s training focused on NEA’s Priority Schools Campaign and the skills members need to be suc-cessful when dealing with a diverse learning popula-tion and communities.

Session topics included developing community partnerships, message development, organiz-ing, and social justice. The participants had a unique opportunity to work in several joint sessions with the Women’s Leader-ship Training Program. Several members from Central OEA/NEA par-ticipated in the train-ing and represented Central well in the closing presentation session.

The Central Diver-sity Task Force has a charge to increase minority participation

Standing Strong: Students Are Our Priority By Adrienne Bowden, OEA Director and Central Diversity Task Force Chair

in Association activities and provide diverse edu-cational opportunities. The NEA Black Caucus Annual Black Issues Conference is being held on April 27-29 in Worthington at the Holiday Inn Express and the OEA Minority Leadership Train-ing Program is being held on June 8-9 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dublin. More details can be found on the Central Web site at www.centraloeanea.org. Consider joining us!

OEA Member Tim Myers Reelected to the STRS Board

Tim Myers, a middle school science teacher from the Elida Local Schools, has been re-elected to the State Teachers Retirement System Board. Endorsed in December by the OEA Board of Directors for a second four-year term, Myers’ reelection was made official in late February when

no other candidate submitted the required number of signatures needed for nomination. OEA members were instrumental in securing Myers’ reelection by signing or circulating hundreds of nominating petitions from across the state.

Myers is currently serving the final year of his first term on the STRS Board. This valuable experience includes a year served as the Board Chair. Throughout his time in this vital role, Myers has been a strong voice in promoting the well-being of members, both active and retired, while addressing the critical issues that face the long-term funding of the pension system.

Myers’ expertise has been especially important over the past three years as the STRS Board has worked to develop a comprehensive reform proposal that must be passed by the Ohio Legislature to ensure the solvency of the retirement system. In working to recommend a set of recommendations for contribution and benefit adjustments, Myers and his fellow OEA members on the Board have fought to protect the defined-benefit pension and fend off attempts to convert STRS into a 401(k)-style program.

After years of delays, it appears the Ohio Senate is prepared to move on pension reform legislation before its summer break. Central OEA/NEA will continue to monitor this legislation and keep you informed as more details are known.

April 2012

April 2012

6

By Lee Schreiner, Central Retired Representative

The Ohio Intergenerational Mentoring Program is designed to give assistance to students who intend to become teachers. The students who enter the mentoring program may be college freshmen or may be in the final stage of their preparation.

With the aid of a grant from the NEA and the support of the OEA, OEA-Retired in collaboration with the Ohio Student Education Association (OSEA) have developed an Intergenerational Program. The goal of the project is to match experienced, retired educators with student mem-ber education majors at participating colleges and universi-ties.

Over the course of our careers as Ohio public school edu-cators we each develop a unique teaching style and gain insight into our profession that few others can duplicate. Today, a new generation of teachers is preparing and is poised to enter the profession. The wisdom, knowledge, and guidance of an experienced/retired mentor can make a positive contribution.

At its foundation, mentoring is truly a friendly, helpful, and informal relationship. It can range from a moment’s notice intervention to a long-term and life-long relationship.

The Intergenerational Mentoring ProgramExperience of Age. Exuberance of Youth!

The founding site in Ohio was Kent State University with Miami University and Ohio University to follow. This year Central OEA/NEA-Retired is proud to take the reins in collaboration with The Ohio State University and the OSU-OSEA student chapter: Mary Giardina, President and Dr. Patti Brosnan, Student Advisor.

In our inaugural year we are proud to have 13 Mentor/Mentee Intergenerational Matches! Student Mentees and Retired Mentors must simply have OEA membership status and fill out an application to participate. A special word of appreciation goes to the following mentors and their mentee match: Sue Christian/Shannon Shaver; Barb Sullivan/Alysse Fireman; Barb Emerick/Kim Smith; Judy Wharton/Melissa Allen; Susan Stuckey/Amber Wadas; Stephanie Pentiuk/Kia Powers; Larry Pentiuk/Jennifer Watson; Vivian Brown/Gianna Cirino; Marla Gleason/Katy Land; Micki Soulen/Natalie Passarelli; Anita Beck/Mary Gianfagna; Sue Otten/Britny Fox; and Phyllis Bates/Mary Giardina.

The program goals are to help ensure the professional success and retention of promising new teachers; to mo-bilize OEA-Retired teachers as mentors for OEA-Student prospective teachers and those new to the profession; and to provide support, guidance, and advice to help less expe-rienced teachers become effective in the classroom.

Mentoring Educators for Tomorrow’s Success!

If you wish to be involved or have questions regarding OEA/NEA-Retired member-ship, contact Lee Schreiner @ 614-871-1538 or via e-mail at lee.schreiner@centraloeanea.org. Important sites for retired information: www.ohea.org and www.nea.org

April 2012

6

Central Retired Representative Lee Schreiner with OSU-OSEA Presi-dent Mary Gardina, and Student Advisor Dr. Patti Bronson

April 2012 April 2012

7

District County For Against Result New/Renewal

Lancaster City Fairfield 50.10% 49.90% Passed New

Miami Trace Local Fayette 54.26% 45.74% Passed Renewal

South-Western City Franklin 62.07% 37.93% Passed New

Westerville City Franklin 50.98% 49.02% Passed Renewal

Fairfield Local Highland 63.03% 36.97% Passed Renewal

London City Madison 40.15% 59.85% Failed New

Teays Valley Local Pickaway 54.42% 45.58% Passed Renewal

Central’s March School Levy ResultsStatewide results in parenthesis

Result Failed Passed Pass Rate

New 1 (26) 2 (30) 66.7% (53.6%)

Renewal 0 (1) 4 (52) 100% (98.1%)

Grand Total 1 (27) 6 (82) 85.71% (75.2%)

For a list of all of Ohio’s levy results:

http://www.jointhefuture.org/blog/708-march-2012-ohio-school-levy-results

Central President Scott DiMauro with Columbus EA President Rhonda Johnson (far right) and Columbus EA Vice President Sally Oldham.

Central Leadership Development Coordinator Carla Fultz during the

Closing Session on Saturday

IPD Committee members presented the afternoon sessions on Saturday. From left, Cheryl Williams (Dublin SA), Central Vice President Diana Ball (Amanda-Clearcreek EA), Patty Nyquist and Dona Givens (Dublin EA), and Nancy Smith (Worthington EA).

April 14, 2012 Central OEA/NEA Representative Assembly – Thomas Worthington High School, Worthington

April 19, 2012 Deadline for submitting Central Growth & Development Grant Applications

May 11-12, 2012 OEA Representative Assembly, Veterans Memorial Auditorium

June 8-9, 2012 OEA Minority Leadership Training, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin

July 23-24, 2012 Central Building Leadership Teams Training, TBD

August 6-8, 2012 OEA Summer Leadership Academy, Hyatt Regency, Columbus

In this issue2 In Case You Missed It

3 Student Performance Data & Ohio’s

Accountability System

3 Scholarships Available for OEA Summer Leadership

4 Central Representative Assembly Scheduled for

April 14, 2012

4 Growth & Development Grant Applications Due

April 19

5 OEA Member Tim Myers Reelected to the

STRS Board

5 Standing Strong: Students are Our Priority

6 The Intergenerational Mentoring Program

7 Central’s March School Levy Results

Central OEA / NEA

Standing Strong: Students are Our Priority

The Intergenerational Mentoring Program

Tim Myers Reelected to the STRS Board

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDCOLUMBUS, OHPERMIT No. 204

CE NT RA L O EA/NEA, Inc.947 Goodale BoulevardColumbus, OH 43212

COMMUNIQUÉ

3 655

Student Performance Data & Ohio’s AccountabilitySystem