Press | Ohio Federation of Teachers, AFT, AFL-CIO

Senate Budget Rewards Wealthiest, Punishes Public Schools

The All In For Ohio Kids (AOK) Coalition released the following statement: “The 23 Senators who voted for the budget chose to give a generous boost to the incomes of Ohio’s wealthiest residents. Yet they failed to provide the necessary resources to properly educate the 90% of students – about 1.6 million children – who attend our public schools. They figured out a way to give $600 million to a billionaire political donor for a football stadium, but abandoned the Fair School Funding Plan they promised would be fully implemented in this budget. The budget passed by the Ohio Senate is a betrayal of the bipartisan work that went into the creation of the Fair School Funding Plan, which requires lawmakers to include up-to-date costs and fully account for the needs of every child in every community. What the Senate passed this week is a cheap knock-off of the original Fair School Funding Plan.

Dismantling the Department of Education Hurts Ohio Children

"Now they’re trying to gut the Department of Education, and the people who will be harmed in the process will be children, college students, and families. Firing more than 1300 Department of Education workers, including hundreds who work on student financial aid and civil rights protections, will not reduce the deficit. Rather, it will create enormous harm by eroding the government's ability to support successful strategies that improve children’s academic outcomes and help students afford higher education."

Public Education Supporters Respond to Governor DeWine’s Proposed Biennial Budget

Ohio Organizing Collaborative Co-Executive Director Molly Shack, Policy Matters Executive Director Hannah Halbert, OFT President Melissa Cropper, and OEA President Scott DiMauro released the following joint statement: “No matter where they live or what they look like, all of Ohio’s kids deserve a public school that inspires their creativity, unlocks their potential, and nurtures their dreams. But according to the EdWeek Research Center, Ohio is among the least equitable states for education resource distribution in the country. While we recognize Governor DeWine’s commitment to continuing implementation of the Cupp-Patterson school funding formula, also known as the Fair School Funding Plan, we are calling on Ohio’s lawmakers to take bold action and implement full funding for that plan." MORE

OFT Mourns the Passing of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka

Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper release the following statement on the passing of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: "Today, we mourn for AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, a relentless champion for workers’ rights and people-powered democracy. Rich began his work in the labor movement as a coal miner before rising to become the leader of the United Mine Workers of America and then the AFL-CIO. He never forgot where he came from, providing critical support to workers in struggle throughout his career." MORE

Legislature Makes Gains on School Funding But Fails to Enact Fair School Funding Formula

“We organized. We held town halls. We called and emailed our legislators. We came together – parents, teachers, school support staff, school administrators, community members – and we made a huge impact for our kids,” said Taylor Pennington, a public school parent in Lima, Ohio. “This legislation enacts a student-centered school funding formula for the next two years that will help all our local schools deliver world-class opportunities. We need to keep raising our voices to make this a permanent funding formula.”

Worthington Libraries Staff Announce Union Effort

Today, staff at Worthington Libraries called on their library management to voluntarily recognize their union after they presented signed union cards from an overwhelming majority of library employees. The organizing campaign is led by staff from all three library branches.

“We love our jobs and we love the library,” said Coleman Mahler, an adult services librarian at the Northwest Library branch. “Now we’re asking for a voice in policy that affects us, autonomy over our working conditions and a library that works as hard for us as we work for our community.”

Ohio Federation of Teachers Urges Senate Passage of the Fair School Funding Plan

COLUMBUS, OH — Following the Ohio House of Representatives' passage of HB 305, Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper released the following statement: “Ohio’s public schools have gone decades without a constitutional school funding formula and are currently operating with no funding formula at all. That is too long for us to fail to meet our obligations to the 90% of Ohio children who attend our public schools."

Media inquiries

Members of the media may contact OFT Communications Director Neil Bhaerman at 412-266-4899 (cell).

AFT National President, Striking Teachers Highlight Lake Erie West’s Charter Failures

Toledo, OH — As charter school teachers at Summit Academy Parma continue their strike, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and striking teachers spoke in Toledo outside the office of the Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West. Lake Erie West is the sponsor for Summit Academy schools and has a record of ineffectiveness and failed oversight as a charter school sponsor, including the scandal-ridden Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT).

Parma, OH — Teachers at Summit Academy Parma began their strike today at 7:30 a.m. at the school building on Stumph Road in Parma. The teachers are striking over an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Summit Academy Management for their failure to negotiate in good faith. Through nine months of negotiations, teachers have been seeking: improved health and safety conditions, manageable class sizes and caseloads, planning periods, and standards that will allow the school to retain quality teachers and provide consistency for students.