November 19, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Neil Bhaerman, nbhaerman@oft-aft.org, 412-266-4899
Arts & College Preparatory Academy Teachers and Staff Call for Union Recognition
Columbus, OH — Today, educators and support staff at the Arts & College Preparatory Academy (ACPA) charter school called on their School Director and Board of Education to voluntarily recognize their union after delivering a statement to their school’s administration. ACPA teachers, instructional aides, intervention specialists, social workers, counselors and other workers submitted signed union cards from 81% of eligible staff to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
“Forming our union will give us a collective voice to reduce turnover by advocating for fair working conditions and meaningful input in decision-making,” said Brandon Wise, a science teacher for grades 11 and 12 and member of the union organizing committee. “When teachers are supported and heard, we stay in the profession longer, creating stability and stronger relationships in the classroom. This benefits our students by ensuring they have experienced, dedicated teachers who can focus on their success.”
Employees are calling on ACPA to voluntarily recognize their union and to not use taxpayer money to hire anti-union consultants or to engage in any anti-union behavior. ACPA is budgeted to receive at least $6 million in Ohio public education funding for this year and next year.
“We are united in our desire to have a union voice so we can advocate for ourselves and our students,” said Ryan Alvarado, a social studies teacher for grades 10, 11, and 12 and member of the organizing committee. “We are asking ACPA to either recognize our union or pledge to stay neutral during our union election period. Charter school funding should be used to benefit students and improve educational outcomes, not to keep teachers and staff from forming a union.”
By filing their signed union cards with the NLRB, ACPA workers started the process for scheduling a secret ballot union election, which would only occur if the school refuses to recognize the supermajority support demonstrated by signed union cards.
“Our teachers and staff are the backbone of the community we have created at ACPA,” said Emily Horwath, a Spanish Teacher and member of the organizing committee. “With a supported, consistent, and well-treated faculty and staff, we can all look forward to seeing how great ACPA can be.”
The new union, ACPA United, is being organized in affiliation with the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT). OFT represents nearly 20,000 active and retired traditional public school teachers and staff, charter school teachers and staff, librarians and library workers, higher education faculty and staff, social work professionals and public employees in Ohio. If successful, ACPA United would be the ninth charter school in OFT.
“Charter schools work best when teachers and staff have a union voice that allows them to fight for the learning conditions their students need and the working conditions that will make educators want to return year after year,” said OFT President Melissa Cropper.
“My school was one of the first charter schools to unionize in Ohio, and I have seen firsthand how things will change for the better with a union in place,” said Sue Kraus, an intervention specialist at the University of Cleveland Preparatory School and President of Cleveland Alliance for Charter Teachers and Staff (Cleveland ACTS), OFT Local 6570. “With each negotiated contract we continue to see conditions improve. I have been at my school for 15 years and continue to stay because we have a strong union and a strong contract.”
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ACPA United is the worker-led organizing campaign for ACPA teachers and staff. They are affiliated with the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), which represents 20,000 members who are active and retired traditional public school teachers and staff, charter school teachers and staff, librarians and library workers, higher education faculty and staff, social work professionals and public employees. OFT works to advance quality education and public services and a voice in the workplace for Ohio’s education professionals.