Publication for Members of Central OEA/NEA • Scott DiMauro, PresidentCampaign2012 Election Special

COMMUNIQUÉ

I was sitting recently in a faculty meeting at my high school while the Hu-man Resources Director outlined plans for the pilot implementation of the new Ohio Teacher Evalua-tion System in our district. Many of my colleagues were understandably incredulous at the prospect of having to develop new tests for the purpose of rating teachers and the innumerable ways the new rating formula could be harmful to educators and students alike. I heard sev-eral ask the same question: “Who in the world thought of this?”

The answer to the ques-tion is simple: politicians made this happen. Policy changes such as these that threaten to weaken our profession and harm our students are the product of decisions made by elected officials. As we know all too well from last year’s fight to defeat Senate Bill 5 and the devastating state budget cuts so many of us have felt, political decisions have enormous consequences on our lives as teachers and education support professionals.

The Real Safeguard of Democracy is EducationScott DiMauro, Central OEA/NEA President

The choices we make in this election will have far-reaching consequences. Like me, you will make your own decision on each race and ballot measure based on your own values, priorities and personal judg-ment. This special issue of Communiqué is provided to you as a service so that you can make well-informed decisions.

Voting in support of public education means sup-porting candidates who believe in the transforma-tive power of educators to change students’ lives and opposing those who demonize us. We need public officials at all levels of government, from the White House to the State-house, who understand the challenges we face and are committed to fighting for policies that keep students

at the center of reform and provide us with the tools and resources we need to be successful.

While electing pro-public education candidates is important now, eliminating an unjust election system is also vital in the long run. Issue 2, the amendment to create an independent redistricting commission, is simple, fair, and helps us all. It’s simple in that it takes away the line-drawing process from politicians to ensure that voters pick their representatives and not the other way around. It’s fair because it requires districts to be compact and competi-tive, not gerrymandered to protect incumbents. And it helps all of us, particu-larly public educators, because

Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.

it makes it less likely for extremists from either party to gain control of the Legis-lature and pass misguided policies like SB 5 and bud-get cuts for schools. Please vote Yes on Issue 2.

The words of President Franklin Roosevelt ring true now as much as they did when he spoke them 70 years ago: “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” Thank you for your work in safeguarding our democra-cy, and thank you for choos-ing wisely in this election.

President Franklin Roosevelt

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Tanyce Addison

Ohio Senate District 26OEA Recommended Candidate

“As a candidate for the Ohio Senate, I have re-ferred to this quote by JFK many times. “Courage and efforts are not enough with-out purpose and direction.” The purpose and direction of my campaign for the Ohio Senate’s 26th District is very clear. It’s about in-vesting in people. It’s about listening to all people. It’s about opportunity for all with responsibility from all. I believe in fairness, broad-based prosperity, and mak-ing government work for the people. We need jobs with wages that can sustain a family. I value the impor-tance of affordable higher education and collective bargaining.

Our forefathers of these United States said that “All people are created equal” and we should have the “pursuit of happiness.”

Choose Wisely: The Ohio Senate

They didn’t want a coun-try with a life-style only for the wealthy or where the vast majority of our citi-zens are just getting by. To achieve this “pursuit

of happiness” is through a quality education and health care for everyone.

The America I know says no matter what color of their skin, socioeconomic situation, or challenges life has brought, every child de-serves a quality education. Quality education demands commitment from students, parents, teachers, adminis-trators, and state funding.The America I know wouldn’t deny health care to people just because they could not pay. Health care should be a right, not a privi-lege, to every citizen. I have heard from citizens all over the 26th District and I have gotten the same message: they are tired of politicians who don’t repre-sent the people who vote for them. They want a State Senator who will listen to their concerns and will work for them. I want to be their State Senator so we can roll up our sleeves and get to work on the issues impor-tant to Ohioans together; jobs with living wages, quality education and health care.”

In a recent interview for Communiqué, OEA members running for office in Central Ohio, Tanyce Addison, Donna O’Connor, Maureen Reedy, and Teresa Scarmack were asked to introduce themselves, describe why they are running for Ohio’s General Assembly, and discuss their priorities for Ohio’s public schools.

Teresa Scarmack Ohio Senate District 20OEA Recommended Candidate

“Students come first and I believe access to an eq-uitable, high-quality public education is the most im-portant step toward ensur-ing a high-quality standard of living for every child in our district. I am a master kindergarten teacher in the Logan-Hock-ing School District who is working to become the new senator in District 20, which includes Fairfield, Guernsey, Hocking, Morgan, Musk-ingum and parts of Athens and Pickaway counties. Ohio’s elected officials have a constitutional responsibil-ity to provide a high-qual-ity public education for all Ohio’s students regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic status.My aim is to be instru-mental in seeing that such quality public education is guaranteed in our state. Fair funding across the state will allow our teachers and

schools to pro-vide meaningful education that will lead to safe, good-paying, long-term jobs.

Furthermore, we must allow Ohio school districts to keep qualified, experienced and

caring teachers and invest in the classroom so that children have the programs and materials they need to perform well as they con-tinue their education year after year. Leading the way for col-leges to prepare teachers for school assignments and encouraging teachers to excel in their training and professional development, public schools must use re-search to develop excellent programs and opportunities for students.

As the next state senator for District 20, I will remain a vigorous advocate for quality public education that affords every child ongoing opportunities to create and fully develop their own skills and achieve their potential based on their individual interests and aptitudes. I will stand up for all children, fellow teachers and every public worker in our great state of Ohio.”

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Donna O’Connor

Ohio House District 21OEA Recommended Candidate

“I’m a Special Education teacher at Dublin Coffman High School, I love the kids that I teach, and I never dreamed I’d leave the job I love for politics.

I’m running because we need someone to protect and improve public educa-tion. We need someone who approaches challeng-es as a community leader and will work to put the people of the district first and not political parties. We need someone who is willing to work with others to solve problems.

We need a school fund-ing formula in this state that is constitutional, fair, and stable. We need a formula that doesn’t put more burdens on local property owners. We need a school funding formula that doesn’t change every time our elected leader-ship changes. Balancing a budget on the shoulders of

Choose Wisely: The Ohio House of Representatives

our students is not what we need in Ohio.

The financial health of our state is only as strong as our communities and schools. That’s why solv-ing one financial problem only to create another won’t protect our schools or improve our economy. We need to keep invest-ing in our kids so they can still ask the questions of How come? What if? and Why not?

Many elected leaders talk about change- they don’t change the world around them- innovation and cre-ators change the world. If we lose out on the opportunities to educate the next generation of innovators, we will lose out on our competitive advantage in this global economy. We need to create an environment for good-paying jobs of the future, and we don’t get there by attacking the people who provide the core public services that businesses depend on and look to when decid-ing to invest in a com-munity.

Who better to make sure we continue to invest in our kids and invest in our future than someone who has been doing that her entire career- a teacher.”

Maureen Reedy

Ohio House District 24OEA Recommended Candidate

“I am an educator who never would have guessed when I set up my very first 4th grade classroom that I would be running for state office.

My passion for the past 29 years has been to take the children in my care and work with them to build on their strengths to become the best students and human beings they can pos-sibly be.

This August, instead of greeting my students on the first day of school, I find myself urgently knocking on doors. And I am not knock-ing alone.

This election year, 10 teachers in Ohio have been knocking on tens of thou-sands of doors so that we can get to work inside our State House for our stu-dents, our profession and the future of public educa-tion.

It should have been enough that thousands of us

worked from February to November 8th, 2011, teach-ing during the day and then rallying at the State House, phone banking, and can-vassing in the evenings and on weekends.

It should have been enough when Ohio’s voters crushed Issue 2. It should have been enough…. But it wasn’t.

As educators today, we are witnessing an unprecedent-ed era of regression and suppression in our State House. Legislation is being passed that divests, instead of invests in public educa-tion. Ohio tax dollars are being siphoned off to under-performing for-profit charter schools. Privatization of our public entities is increasing. The people’s voice in the workplace and our vote are being suppressed. The eco-nomic viability of the middle class is being marginalized, threatening the ability of our children to build secure and successful futures.That’s why I’m running. I’m ready to walk through the open doors of the State House and get to work of-ficially as your state legisla-tor to build an Ohio that belongs to all of us.”

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He stood strong with school employees, police officers and firefighters as an early opponent of SB 5.(Channel 3 News at 6 and 7 p.m. WKYC, 4/27/11)

President Obama’s FY 2013 budget provides the largest percentage increase to education. (Whitehouse.gov)

He fought for funding to save the jobs of 400,000 teachers, including more than 11,000 jobs in Ohio.(Toledo Blade, 2/18/2009, U.S. Department of Education)

He worked to make college and worker training more accessible by increasing funding for Pell grants and community colleges, and expanding career training for Americans looking for work.(Whitehouse.gov)

Barack Obama’s Education Record as President:

As President, Barack Obama has stood up for educators, public education, our schools and our students. President Obama has had our backs.

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Mitt Romney’s Poor Education Record as Governor:

As the Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney consistently cut important in-vestments in public education. Time and again, he sided against educators and students.

Romney sided with Governor Kasich on SB 5, supporting Kasich’s plan to weaken collective bargaining rights for school employees. (AP, 10/26/11)

Governor Romney supports the Ryan budget, which would cut funding for public education.(The Note, ABC, 3/20/12; Education Week Blog, 3/22/12)

Romney cut early education and pre-K funding and vetoed $10 million for kin-dergarten expansion. He also slashed $2.3 million from special education programs.(MA Budget and Policy Center, 3/5/03; Mitt Romney Education Plan, 5/23/12)

Romney proposed raising tuition by 15% and reduced higher education funding - resulting in a 63% increase in student fees.(Boston Globe, 3/3/03, Boston Globe, 6/29/07)

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Campaign 2012 Election Special

5 Senator Brown spoke out forcefully against SB 5. (The Repository, 7/18/11)

Senator Brown fought to pass a bill that saved the jobs of 400,000 teachers across the country. (Portsmouth Daily Times, 11/5/11)

The Senator sponsored a bill to provide $100 million for renovations and improvements to Ohio schools. (www.sherrodbrown.com)

As a matter of principle, Sherrod Brown refused to accept the taxpay-er-funded Congressional health care plan until affordable health insurance was available to the people of Ohio. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1/18/11)

Sen. Sherrod Brown Is a Friend of Educators.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is the son of a teacher. He’s always stood up for students, and as our Senator he has been a strong ally of school employees and public education.

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Treasurer Josh Mandel was a vocal advocate for SB 5 - the unfair attack on educators, nurses, firefighters, and police. (Dayton Daily News, 5/25/11)

Treasurer Mandel has used the Treasurer’s office to reward his political friends. He pays his college friend $150,000, and he pays $90,000 to his 26-year-old political aide for managing debt retirement - even though he has no financial experience. (Dayton Daily News, 3/31/12)

As Treasurer, Mandel has frequently missed official meetings of his office while traveling extensively to raise campaign funds. (Associated Press, 01/25/12, Columbus Dispatch, 2/23/12)

Josh Mandel Has Only Looked Out For His Friends As Treasurer.

Treasurer Josh Mandel has not supported educa-tors or a pro-public education agenda. At a time when educa-tors need a cham-pion, Josh Mandel has taken positions counter to our best interests.

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Candidates for Statewide office are interviewed by the OEA Fund for Children and Public Education (FCPE) State Council, which consists of representatives from each of OEA’s 10 districts, OEA’s Retired affiliate, and the OEA Board of Directors.

Candidates are invited to complete a written question-naire and participate in an interview to discuss their views on a variety of educational issues, including school funding, employee rights, retirement, and privatization. Recommendations for endorsement are made based on the candidates’ records in office and positions on those issues. Candidates who choose not to participate in the screening process are not eligible for endorsement.

Candidates for Ohio House and Ohio Senate are inter-viewed by district-level interview teams that include representatives from each OEA local and a five-member District Screening Council.

As with statewide candidates, interviews cover edu-cational issues, and candidates must participate in the process to be eligible for endorsement.

Candidates for U.S. Congress are screened by local Congressional Contact Teams based on federal education issues, and endorsement recommendations are subject to final approval of the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education based on their record and issue positions.

The screening process is bipartisan, objective, transpar-ent, inclusive of members, and thorough. Candidate recommendations are not based on issues unrelated to public education or party affiliation.

Contributions to candidates’ campaigns are made only to candidates who have earned an endorsement, and such contributions come from voluntary donations by mem-bers to the OEA or NEA Fund for Children and Public Education. By law, members’ dues dollars may not be used for contributions to candidates for office.

What Is the Process for Recommending Candidates for Office?

Who Is Telling Our Story?The Fund for Children and Public Education (FCPE) is a non-partisan, political action fund for candidates who support the values of public educators.

The law prohibits members’ dues dollars being used for contributions to candidates for office; therefore, the voluntary FCPE contributions you make are one of the ways we tell the story of what we believe.

We believe…Teachers and Support Staff are committed to the success of every child.

Students need to be at the center of education reform.

To ensure the success of every child, teachers, students, parents, and POLITICIANS need to be held accountable.

FCPE is ultimately about issues, not candidates. If you care about any of the following issues:

• Class Size

• Standardized Tests

• Salary

• Common Core

• Evaluations

• Value-Added

• Working Conditions

• Retirement

Then FCPE is important to you, too. By becoming politically active, we don’t guarantee ourselves success in public policy debates, but it does guarantee us a seat at the policy-making table and allows us to tell our story.

June 2012

President of the United StatesBarack Obama

U.S. SenateSherrod Brown

U.S. HouseCD 3 Joyce BeattyCD 4 Jim SloneCD 7 Joyce Healy AbramsCD 12 No PositionCD 15 Pat Lang

Central OEA/NEA Voter’s Guide

Vote to support your local school levies and bond issues!

Ohio Supreme CourtJustice Yvette McGee BrownJudge William O’NeillMichael Skindell, Esq.

Ohio State Board of EducationDistrict 6 Michael CollinsDistrict 9 Stephanie DoddDistrict 10 Todd Book

State Issue 2Yes

For a complete list of OEA recommended candidates for Campaign 2012, log in to the members-only section of the OEA Campaign 2012 website at www.ohea.org/campaign2012

OEA Recommended Candidates for the Ohio SenateSD 10 Jeff RobertsonSD 16 Jim HughesSD 20 Teresa ScarmackSD 26 Tanyce Addison

OEA Recommended Candidates for the Ohio House

HD 17 Mike Curtin

HD 18 Michael Stinziano

HD 19 Ryan Jolley

HD 20 Heather Bishoff

HD 21 Donna O’Connor

HD 22 John Patrick Carney

HD 23 Traci Johnson

HD 24 Maureen Reedy

HD 25 Kevin Boyce

HD 26 Tracy Heard

HD 67 David Hogan

HD 68 No Position

HD 71 Brady Jones

HD 72 David Dilly

HD 74 No Position

HD 77 Kelly Bryant

HD 78 Jeremy VanMeter

HD 79 No Position

HD 83 John Kostyo

HD 85 No Position

HD 86 Cheryl Johncox

HD 87 Jeff Lehart

HD 88 Bill Young

HD 92 Robert Armstrong

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2 Choose Wisely: The Ohio Senate

3 Choose Wisely: The Ohio House of Representatives

4 Presidential Candidates’ Education Records

5 U.S. Senate Candidates’ Education Records

6 What is the Process for Recommending Candidates for Office?

6 Who is Telling Our Story?

7 Central OEA/NEA Voter’s Guide

Central OEA / NEA Campaign 2012 Election Special

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDCOLUMBUS, OHPERMIT No. 204

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

COMMUNIQUÉ

In this issue

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

Volume 41, Number 2 • Election 2012

COMMUNIQUÉPublished four times a year as a service of

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

Scott DiMauro, President

Adrienne Bowden, Vice President

Kevin Griffin, Executive Board Liaison

Russell Hughlock, Coordinator of Communications and Organizing

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

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