OFT Update (e-newsletter) 5.16.13
OFT Update - News from the Ohio Federation of Teachers
See what cool things are happening in Van Wert and Toledo.
Publications and Reports
OFT Update (e-newsletter) 5.2.13
OFT Update - News from the Ohio Federation of Teachers
OFT Update (e-newsletter) 4.18.13
OFT Update - News from the Ohio Federation of Teachers
OFT President Melissa Cropper: Writing the next chapter
I heard a story this week that I cannot get out of my head. It's not unique to the person who shared it or to the local where she works. It's not even unique to OFT members - this will resonate with educators and working people most anywhere. Read the blog.
OFT Update (e-newsletter) 4.4.13
OFT President Melissa Cropper: From Ohio to Beirut - lessons in solidarity
It's funny the reaction you get from people when you tell them you are going to Beirut. Now that I'm back, I can tell you that efforts to strengthen unions and collective bargaining globally are important to us locally. And I learned that no matter where you are, improving the teaching experience results in improved learning experiences for children. Read more...
Poll: Teachers rank No. 2 in overall wellbeing from work satisfaction
Teachers are No. 2 in overall wellbeing, trailing only physicians, in a new Gallup poll. Nevermind media reports that make teaching in America look like a horrible job. Join the conversation on OFT President Melissa Cropper's blog where she discusses whether the poll's findings hold true here in Ohio.
OFT Update (e-newsletter) 3.19.13
OFT President Melissa Cropper: Writing the next chapter
I am tired of this pretense that competition is a driver of excellence – that if we simply fund choice in education, the competition will generate a better education system for all. The very nature of the word implies that there is going to be a winner and a loser - can we afford to have losers?
OFT Update (e-newsletter) 3.5.13
OFT President Melissa Cropper: Writing the next chapter
Yesterday, a sociology major from the Ohio State University interviewed me for her Sociology of Educational Philosophy class. One of the questions she asked was about my vision for how this organization can affect the future of education. This question led to a discussion of our recent state convention and our theme for that event – Writing the Next Chapter.
OFT Update (e-newsletter) 2.15.13
OFT President Melissa Cropper: Failed philosophy
“No, I didn’t look at those because it’s the philosophy that matters.” According to the Columbus Dispatch, this is what Gov. Kasich said when reporters and folks in education circles wondered whether he'd seen what they had - that dollar figures for his school funding plan did not match what he said his budget would provide.
OFT Update (e-newsletter) 1.23.13
OFT President Melissa Cropper: Writing the next chapter
More than 200 leaders from Ohio Federation of Teachers locals across Ohio will gather in Columbus next month to start "Writing the next chapter." The theme of this year's OFT Convention, "Writing the next chapter" is also our commitment to be more intentionally thoughtful and strategic about determining the course of our future - both together as a union, and individually as public workers and strands in the fabric of our communities.
OFT Update (e-newsletter) 1.10.13
OFT President Melissa Cropper: 'Silver bullets' are not the answer
As we continue to reflect on the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., where 20 children and six adults, including AFT members, were violently killed, we need to ask ourselves one question: “What do we want as the legacy for these 26 innocent people?” Though we can never change what happened or remove the deep sense of loss, we can make sure there is a meaningful and impactful response to their deaths. To not do so would be unforgivable.