Public Education Matters

A Legacy of Education: Sandra Dowdy & Calista Altenburger - Season 3, Episode 11

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Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Sandra Dowdy, Lincolnview Schools
  • Sandra Dowdy lives in Van Wert, Ohio. She been married to her husband, Daryl, for 30 years.  They met at Bluffton University where she earned my teaching degree. She has two children who are both educators! Calista is an intervention specialist at Allen East and Justis teaches strength and conditioning along with physical education at Lima Senior. This is her 29th year teaching at Lincolnview Schools. She began as a high school Spanish teacher, then eight years later moved into a junior high math position, and for the past seven years, she has been a junior high language arts teacher. "Teaching is not a job to me," Dowdy says. "It's a privilege to be trusted each day to interact with my students and to be an influence on their lives."
• Calista Altenburger, Allen East Schools
  • Calista Altenburger is a 3rd Grade Intervention Specialist at Allen East Schools, where she is in her second year of teaching. She earned her master's degree in Special Education through BGSU. She also worked for three years at the Hancock County board of Developmental Disabilities as case manager for SSA, and she worked for two years as a Job Developer with Capabilities in collaboration with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.

Connect with OEA:

• Email [email protected] with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics
• Like OEA on Facebook
• Follow OEA on Twitter
• Follow OEA on Instagram
• Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
• Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues 
• Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch

About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded on October 11, 2022.

A Legacy of Education: The Jessens - Season 3, Episode 10

SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Rebecca Jessen, Vermillion High School teacher, Vermillion, Ohio
  • Rebecca Jessen is a career educator who has taught at both the high school and collegiate levels. Rebecca earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in biology from Bowling Green State University. She has been teaching biology at Vermilion High School for twenty years. Rebecca served as the president of Vermilion Teachers Association for over a decade and is currently a building representative, a member of the negotiating team and the building labor relations committee, and chair of the Lakeshore 58 leadership council. Rebecca resides on Catawba Island with her fiance David, her daughter James (when home from college), and their dog, Dolly.
• James Jessen, Aspiring Educator, Ashland University
  • James Jessen is a 2022 graduate of Vermilion High School and is presently an art education major at Ashland University. She is a member of the Ashland University marching band and art club, a member of the National Honor Society and was a delegate to Buckeye Girls State. James is a portrait artist and owns her own business, James and the Giant Canvas. She is a member of the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council and NEA/OEA Aspiring Educators. James currently resides at Ashland University and she misses her dog, Dolly.

Connect with OEA:

• Email [email protected] with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics
• Like OEA on Facebook
• Follow OEA on Twitter
• Follow OEA on Instagram
• Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
• Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues 
• Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch

About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded on September 27, 2022.

The Case Against Mandatory Retention Under the 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee - Season 3, Episode 9

SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.

MORE | To read Dr. Thomas' white paper, "A Critical Examination of Grade Retention as Reading Policy," click here.

WATCH | Click here to watch the full October 10th press event with OEA President Scott DiMauro, Dr. Paul Thomas, State Board of Education member Dr. Christina Collins, HB 497 joint sponsor Rep. Gayle Manning, and Campbell Education Association member Karen Carney.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Dr. Paul Thomas
  • P. L. Thomas, Professor of Education (Furman University), taught high school English for 18 years in South Carolina before moving to teacher education and teaching first-year writing. He is author of How to End the Reading War and Serve the Literacy Needs of All Students: A Primer for Parents, Policy Makers, and People Who Care 2nd ed(IAP). 
  • Follow him at his blog http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/ and on Twitter @plthomasEdD. 

Connect with OEA:

• Email [email protected] with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics
• Like OEA on Facebook
• Follow OEA on Twitter
• Follow OEA on Instagram
• Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
• Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues 
• Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch

About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded on October 17, 2022.

Supporting Diverse Educators - Season 3, Episode 8

SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Linna Jordan, Hilliard Education Association President
  • In her 25 years in education, Linna Jordan has taught in urban and suburban districts including two years in Houston ISD as a bilingual elementary teacher. Most of her experience, though, has been as a high school EL and Spanish teacher. During her time at Davidson High School, she served in various leadership and committee positions including several aimed specifically at DEI.
  • This is her second year as president of the Hilliard Education Association. Jordan also has several additional union roles: OEA Board of Directors for Central Unit 8; chair of OEA Hispanic Caucus; chair of OHIO Leadership Council; Central Membership Development chair and member of OEA's EL Cadre among others.

Connect with OEA:

• Email [email protected] with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics
• Like OEA on Facebook
• Follow OEA on Twitter
• Follow OEA on Instagram
• Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
• Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues 
• Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch

About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded on August 23, 2022.

State Supreme Court Candidate Spotlight - Season 3, Episode 7

MORE | OEA Members can learn more about the OEA Member-recommended candidates on the ballot in their community by visiting Ohioballot.com. You can also learn more about the OEA Fund and its screening and endorsement process here.

SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.
 
Featured Education Matters guests: 

• Justice Jennifer Brunner, candidate for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice
  • https://www.justicebrunner.com/
  • On November 3, 2020, Jennifer Brunner was elected Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.  Previously she served as a judge of the Tenth District Court of Appeals for 6 years and the Franklin County Common Pleas Court for nearly 5 years. As a trial court judge Brunner founded the county’s adult felony drug court, known as the TIES (Treatment is Essential to Success) Program, now in operation for more than18 years. She was elected Ohio’s first woman Secretary of State on November 7, 2006, and held the office for four years. While in that office, she became the first Ohioan to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award from the bipartisan board of the JFK Library and Museum in Boston. Justice Brunner was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010.  She has 17 years of private law practice experience and has provided rule of law technical expertise to the government of the Republic of Serbia, election observation in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and rule of law instruction at the bar association of Sri Lanka through the U.S. state department (USAID), as well as provided remote technical training through the American Bar Association (ABA) to the Republic of Kazakhstan, and in August 2022, in-person assistance to the Republic of Benin’s Human Rights Commission.  She has gained a deep understanding of the importance of a strong and well-functioning judiciary to preserving peace and growing democracy through the rule of law.  A native of Springfield, Ohio, Justice Brunner has been married to Rick Brunner since 1978.  They have 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren, 3 dogs and 2 cats and spend time at their home in Columbus and at their farm in Columbiana County in Northeast Ohio.
• Judge Marilyn Zayas, candidate for Ohio Supreme Court Associate Justice
  • https://judgemarilynzayas.com/
  • Judge Marilyn Zayas learned from an early age that everyone should be treated fairly and equally. This is a core belief and guides Marilyn in her personal and professional life. She was born in Spanish Harlem and grew up in a tough New York City neighborhood. Although she earned a college degree in computer science and moved to Cincinnati to become an IT Manager for Proctor & Gamble, Marilyn always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. After six years, in 1994, Marilyn left P&G and pursued her dream, enrolling in and then graduating with a law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1997. In addition to realizing her dream, Marilyn also knew she had found a wonderful home in Ohio where she could raise her children. She went to work serving her community and eventually built her own law firm representing everyone from the poor to millionaires to refugees. Throughout her career, she never lost sight of her passion for justice. In 2016, Marilyn was elected to the First District Court Of Appeals of Ohio. She was proud to know she was the only Latina judge on any district court of appeals in the state. Her reputation for fairness grew. Her commitment to faithfully apply the law and the constitution was recognized by her peers. So Judge Zayas was asked to sit in on cases as a visiting judge on the Second, Sixth, Eighth and Tenth District Courts of Appeals. Judge Zayas was also selected by the Ohio Supreme Court’s Chief Justice to be a sitting judge on the Ohio Supreme Court for a recused justice. In 2022, Judge Zayas decided to run for the Ohio Supreme Court.
    Judge Marilyn Zayas’s family includes her three adult children and two adopted rescue dogs, Thor and Sparkle Lou.
• Judge Terri Jamison, candidate for Ohio Supreme Court Associate Justice
  • https://www.votejudgejamison.com/
  • Judge Terri Jamison’s journey from the coal fields of West Virginia to the highest reaches of the legal profession is a testament to her strength, intelligence, perseverance, and persistence. Judge Jamison worked as one of the few women in the underground coal mines, made Columbus her home, later opened and ran her own insurance agency for over 16 years, and attended college while working full time. Terri sold her agency and enrolled in the Capital University School of Law and obtained her Juris Doctorate in 2004. As an attorney, Terri worked in the Franklin County Public Defender’s Office representing indigent clients in the Municipal Court System and served as a Hearing Officer for the Ohio Unemployment Compensation Review Commission. She practiced in the US District Court, Southern District of Ohio. She opened her own law office, practicing Criminal, Juvenile, Domestic Relations, and Probate law at the trial and appellate level. She was admitted to practice at the Supreme Court of the United States in 2007. In 2012, she was elected judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch. She was overwhelmingly reelected to the Common Pleas bench in 2018 and then elected to the Tenth District Court of Appeals in 2020. During her time on the bench, Judge Jamison has used her experience, perspective, talent, and knowledge to develop new strategies to empower families. She also devoted considerable time, energy, and attention to issues related to equal access to justice, diversity, inclusion, and the need to develop alternatives to detention for juveniles. Along with her many other accomplishments, Judge Jamison is most proud of being a spouse to Ricardo “Ty” Gary, a retired Franklin County Deputy Sheriff who has started a new career as a realtor with E-Merge Realty. Their blended family includes three sons, Tremayne, Demetrius, and Sean, seven grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

Connect with OEA:

• Em...

Educators on the Ballot - Season 3, Episode 6

MORE | OEA Members can learn more about the OEA Member-recommended candidates on the ballot in their community by visiting Ohioballot.com. You can also learn more about the OEA Fund and its screening and endorsement process here.

SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.
 
Featured Education Matters guests: 

• Sophia Rodriguez, D-Ohio House District 84 candidate
  • Sophia Rodriguez for State Representative (electsophia.com)
  • Sophia Rodriguez is a high school Spanish teacher in Coldwater School and co-manager of her family restaurant of 41 years in Celina. She has served on the Mercer County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Ohio Education Association Board of Directors, National Education Association Board of Directors, President of the Western Ohio Education Association, President of the Coldwater Teachers’ Organization, Chair of the Ohio Education Association Hispanic Caucus, President of Celina City Council, and as an educational adjunct at the Wright State University Lake Campus. 
• Sean Brennan, D-Ohio House District 14 candidate
  • https://brennanforohio.com/
  • Sean Brennan has been a middle and high school teacher in Brecksville-Broadview Heights Schools for nearly three decades. He has served on Parma City Council since 2004, first as Ward 2 Councilman, then as President, beginning in 2011. Brennan's other leadership roles include serving as the Parma Public Housing Authority Board President (2011-present), City of Parma Scholarship Foundation Founder and Board Member, Parma Charitable Fund Founder and Board Member, and Big Creek Connects Advisory Board Member. Brennan, who is member of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Education Association as well as an honorary member of the Parma Education Association, was an Ohio Teacher of the Year nominee, a Northeast Ohio Education Association (NEOEA) Positive Image Award winner, and was named the 2022 Cleveland American Middle Eastern Organization (C.A.M.E.O.) Teacher of the Year. Brennan has finished 110 marathons and multiple other races, including the Cleveland, Boston, Chicago, and New York Marathons.
• Rep. Joe Miller, D-Ohio House District 53 candidate
  • Currently represents Ohio House District 56
  • https://www.joemillerforohio.com/
  • State Representative Joe Miller is a proud resident of Lorain County. Before entering the General Assembly, Joe Miller worked in both the public and private sectors. After a short time teaching and coaching in Texas, he returned to Ohio and joined a design build firm and became an Associate Director of Planning. It was this and time spent as a general manager in a print production office that gave him valuable insight into the challenges that face businesses here in Ohio.
    September 11th inspired Joe to return to the classroom where he has taught courses at both the high school and college level. In addition to being an active USGTF Professional Golf Instructor and OHSAA Basketball Official, he enjoys volunteering in his community and church. Joe and his wife Kelly, who is a fellow educator, currently reside in Amherst with their two sons, Joseph and Jordan and bulldog, Heisman. Joe Miller is a passionate advocate for quality education, jobs for hardworking Ohioans, opportunities for green energy expansion, and assistance to our veterans.

Connect with OEA:

• Email [email protected] with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics
• Like OEA on Facebook
• Follow OEA on Twitter
• Follow OEA on Instagram
• Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
• Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues 
• Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch

About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded on September 29, October 4, and October 7, 2022.

"The Kindness Machine" - Season 3, Episode 5

SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Christina Dankert, 2nd grade teacher, Sylvania Schools
  • Author: "The Kindness Machine"
  • Christina Dankert has a passion for literacy and believes that we can change the world by reading to the children in our lives. She lives in Sylvania, Ohio, with her husband, Chad, and their two children. She has dreamed of collaborating with her husband to merge their two professions of educator and artist into one meaningful product. The Kindness Machine, their debut picture book, allowed that dream to come true. 
  • Learn more about Christina at www.christinadankert.com

MORE | To order your own copy of The Kindness Machine, click here.

Connect with OEA:

• Email [email protected] with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics
• Like OEA on Facebook
• Follow OEA on Twitter
• Follow OEA on Instagram
• Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
• Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues 
• Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch

About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded on August 23, 2022.

Choosing the OEA Member-recommended Candidates - Season 3, Episode 4

MORE | OEA Members can learn more about the OEA Member-recommended candidates on the ballot in their community by visiting Ohioballot.com. You can also learn more about the OEA Fund and its screening and endorsement process here. 

SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.
 
Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Barb Armour, Bus Driver, Brunswick City Schools
  • Barb Armour has been a bus driver for 28 years. She is a building rep for the Brunswick Education Support Professionals local association. She also serves as ESP At-large on the Northeast Ohio Education Association's (NEOEA) Board of Directors and sits on the NEWOEA District Screening Council 1. Armour was selected as OEA's ESP of the Year in 2020.

Connect with OEA:

• Email [email protected] with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics
• Like OEA on Facebook
• Follow OEA on Twitter
• Follow OEA on Instagram
• Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
• Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues 
• Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch

About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded on September 21, 2022.

The Hard Choice to Walk Away - Season 3, Episode 3

SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.

 
Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Jill Wagner, retired English teacher
  • Jill Wagner, M.Ed. taught English for nearly 39 years in three public school districts in Ohio: Bedford City Schools, Brunswick City Schools, and Independence Local Schools. Her duties included full-time teaching and advising many co-curricular clubs throughout her successful career, and especially rewarding to her was initiating a competitive creative-writing team 8 years ago at Independence High School. Too, coaching numerous Power of the Pen teams and Scripps spelling bee participants has been equally successful throughout the years.
  • Jill is a nationally-recognized educator, earning the Portraits of Awesome award from Ted Dintersmith and “What School Could Be” in 2021, and she earned the 2017 Ohio Middle Level Association (OMLA) Regional Award for best middle-level practice.
  • Jill served as the Northeast Ohio Education Association’s chairwoman of the legislative committee and served on the Ohio Education Association’s Legislative Committee, as well as being a local union representation in two public school districts for decades.
  • On a personal note, Jill has been happily married for 38 years to her husband Kevin, a Shaker Heights City School physical education teacher. She has two daughters, Jenna, who is a high school guidance counselor in Kodiak, AK, and Alexa, a Ph.D. candidate at Case Western Reserve University.

Connect with OEA:

• Email [email protected] with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics
• Like OEA on Facebook
• Follow OEA on Twitter
• Follow OEA on Instagram
• Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
• Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues 
• Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch

About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded on August 17, 2022.

Ohio Parents Trust Teachers - Season 3, Episode 2

READ THE FULL REPORT & EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | "Finding Unity & Common Ground: What Ohio Parents Want for their Children’s Educations” 

MORE | Download the slide deck to present the report findings in your community


Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Alison Paxson, Senior Policy Associate, Children's Defense Fund - Ohio
  • Alison believes every child contributes to the vibrancy and success of our communities. She is driven to ensure that every child is safe, fed, nurtured, cared for, and able to access opportunities to gain the social, economic, cultural and political capital necessary to flourish into adulthood and give back to their communities. As Policy and Communications Associate for CDF-Ohio, she uses her words and advocacy to powerfully uplift the needs of children in Ohio and elevate data-driven policy solutions to improve their livelihoods and create a more equitable and just society. Forever inspired by the 9th and 10th graders she used to work with in direct service, Alison makes it her life’s work to honor the voices and strengths of youth and ensure age never limits the right for every young person to give meaningful input in the decisions that impact their wellbeing and their communities. Alison is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she studied political science and Spanish. She grew up in Enon, Ohio – an upbringing she credits for her passion for inclusivity, equity, and public service.

SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.

Connect with OEA:

• Email [email protected] with your feedback or ideas for future Education Matters topics
• Like OEA on Facebook
• Follow OEA on Twitter
• Follow OEA on Instagram
• Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
• Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues 
• Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch

About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded on August 23, 2022.