Public Education Matters

Celebrating Our Wins - Season 3, Episode 1

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: 

• Scott DiMauro, Ohio Education Association President
  • A high school social studies teacher from Worthington, Scott DiMauro was elected President of the OEA in 2019 after having served as vice president for six years. Over his 30-year career as an educator, Scott has worked to provide students the critical thinking and decision-making skills they need to be successful citizens in our democratic society. He has likewise advocated for students, educators and strong public schools at all levels of his union.
  • Prior to becoming a full-time OEA officer, Scott served for nine years as President of Central OEA/NEA, and has experience as president of his local, as a member of his local bargaining team, chairperson of Central’s leadership and professional development programs, and political action coordinator. He also led the NEA Standing Committee on Legislation for three years.
  • As vice president, Scott served as co-chair of the Healthcare and Pension Advocates for STRS and represented OEA’s 122,000 members on a variety of coalition boards and steering committees. He chaired the OEA Legislative Committee and continues to work with OEA’s Government Relations staff to represent educators in the legislature and State Board of Education. He was proud to help lead efforts of the OEA Commission on Student Success to lay out a comprehensive vision for high-quality education for all students and lay the groundwork for positive implementation of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act in Ohio. He also led an initiative to increase student access to breakfast in high-poverty districts and served as national spokesperson for the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom.
  • Scott’s priorities as president include strengthening local affiliates, enhancing professional supports for members, and elevating the voice of educators in public policy issues to ensure all students are given access to a high-quality education that inspires their creativity, imagination, and desire to learn.

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 12, 2022.

2022 National Teacher of the Year: "We must be true to our students" - Season 2, Episode 34

MORE | Education Matters will return with new episodes in the fall. 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.

LISTEN | Click here to revisit Kurt Russell's Education Matters episode from October, 2021.
 
WATCH | Click here to see Kurt Russell's 2022 National Teacher of the Year Address to the Nation.
 
Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Kurt Russell, 2022 National Teacher of the Year & 2022 Ohio Teacher of the Year
  • Kurt Russell is a veteran teacher at Oberlin High School in the Oberlin City Schools district who believes education can transform students’ lives. For the past twenty-five years, Russell has included cultural relevance in the curriculum for the 9th-12th grade classes he teaches: African American history, US history, IB history of the Americas, and Race, Gender, and Oppression. Russell received the teacher of the year awards from the Oberlin Heritage Center (2009) and the Oberlin Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (2019). In addition to teaching history classes, Russell also serves as a lead teacher at Oberlin High School and advisor for the Black Student Union, Student Council, and Junior Class. Since 1996 Russell has coached basketball for Oberlin City Schools. As the head coach of the Boys Varsity Basketball team, he has received numerous awards, including the Lorain County Basketball Association’s Coach of the Year and the Northeast Ohio Coach of the Year. 
  • Russell decided to become a teacher when he was in middle school. He was inspired by his math teacher, who was the first Black male teacher he had in school, and enjoyed learning about history. Russell received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history and minor in black studies at The College of Wooster. He obtained a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from Ashland University and continues to take courses in child development at Oakland City University.

MORE | To learn more about the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year program, click here.

WATCH | To see Kurt Russell's live interview on CBS Mornings and hear from his students and his mentor, 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 May 23, 2022.

Breakfast & Beyond - Season 2, Episode 33

MORE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe on Google podcasts.

MORE | To view all of the 2021-2022 Breakfast and Beyond success stories, click here.

 MORE | Learn more about the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge here.

Featured voices on this Education Matters episode:

• Scott DiMauro, OEA President
• Brenda Lemon, Logan Education Association President
• Sheri Nott, Logan Education Association Vice President
• Karen Lloyd, Indian Creek Education Association President

MORE | To hear the full Breakfast in the Classroom: "Well-fed kids are better learners" episode (Season 1, Ep. 14), 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 in May, 2022, using some elements recorded in April and May, 2021.

Avoiding the 'Super Teacher' Trap - Season 2, Episode 32

MORE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe on Google podcasts.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Jake Reid
  • Austintown Education Association member
  • Austintown Fitch High School English teacher

MORE | Click here to see the Spanning the Need feature on Jacob Reid as an Inspirational Person of the Week.

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 May 3, 2022.

OEA Officers: 'We Hear You' - Season 2, Episode 31

MORE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe on Google podcasts.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Scott DiMauro, OEA President
  • A high school social studies teacher from Worthington, Scott DiMauro was elected President of the OEA in 2019 after having served as vice president for six years. Over his 30-year career as an educator, Scott has worked to provide students the critical thinking and decision-making skills they need to be successful citizens in our democratic society. He has likewise advocated for students, educators and strong public schools at all levels of his union.
    Prior to becoming a full-time OEA officer, Scott served for nine years as President of Central OEA/NEA, and has experience as president of his local, as a member of his local bargaining team, chairperson of Central’s leadership and professional development programs, and political action coordinator. He also led the NEA Standing Committee on Legislation for three years.
    As vice president, Scott served as co-chair of the Healthcare and Pension Advocates for STRS and represented OEA’s 122,000 members on a variety of coalition boards and steering committees. He chaired the OEA Legislative Committee and continues to work with OEA’s Government Relations staff to represent educators in the legislature and State Board of Education. He was proud to help lead efforts of the OEA Commission on Student Success to lay out a comprehensive vision for high-quality education for all students and lay the groundwork for positive implementation of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act in Ohio. He also led an initiative to increase student access to breakfast in high-poverty districts and served as national spokesperson for the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom.
    Scott’s priorities as president include strengthening local affiliates, enhancing professional supports for members, and elevating the voice of educators in public policy issues to ensure all students are given access to a high-quality education that inspires their creativity, imagination, and desire to learn
• Jeff Wensing, OEA Vice President
  • Jeff Wensing has been a high school math teacher for 26 years with the Parma City Schools. Throughout his teaching career, Jeff has been an advocate and leader, serving as President of the Parma Education Association from 2012-2018 and as President of the North Eastern Ohio Education Association (NEOEA) from 2016-2018. One of Jeff’s accomplishments as a local and district leader was organizing members and the community to elect a new Parma Board of Education majority in 2017.
    Jeff has served on OEA’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee and President’s Cabinet, as Vice Chair of OEA’s District Leaders Council, and as a member of the Fiscal Fitness Review Committee and Systemic Practices Committee.
    Since his election as OEA Vice President in 2019, Jeff has continued to emphasize the importance of organizing members throughout the state. He believes the OEA must support locals in order to both maintain and grow membership.
    Jeff believes it is critical to listen to members before decisions are made, ensure communication throughout the process, and engage in full transparency. As Vice President, he focuses on the OEA’s strategic issues, shared values, and the students members work with each day.
• Mark Hill, OEA Secretary-Treasurer
  • First elected in spring 2018, Mark Hill is currently serving his second three-year term as OEA Secretary-Treasurer. He is a 30-year educator with Worthington City Schools, serving as a middle school math teacher. From 2010-2018, he served as president of the Worthington Education Association (WEA). In his freshman year as WEA president, he led his local local in joining the successful repeal of Senate Bill 5 (SB5), an attack to collective bargaining.
    It was during this period he was twice-elected to the STRS Board.
    Again, he demonstrated strong leadership in his roles as vice chair and chair respectively. Along with the board, he worked to bring long-term sustainability to the pension fund. His second 4-year term with STRS concluded August 31. 2018.
    Mark has also served as a member of the OEA Board of Directors and as chair of numerous Central OEA/NEA committees as well as chair of the OEA Resolutions Committee. Mark believes it is critical that OEA supports its local associations and their leaders because they shape members’ impressions of the value of membership. In these dynamic times, Mark’s experienced leadership is vital as he directs OEA’s budget priorities toward an even stronger association.

MORE | Parents, caregivers, and community members are invited to record messages to show teachers how much they are appreciated and the difference they have made in their districts. Click here to record your story.

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 April 28, 2022.

Buckeye Local Backpay - Season 2, Episode 30

MORE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe on Google podcasts.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Melissa Supanik, Buckeye Local Classroom Teachers' Association President
  • Melissa Supanik, MA Educational Administration, hails from a strong union family so it's no wonder that when approached she became a member of the union without hesitation.  A product of Buckeye Local (class of 1984), she began her life long career there upon graduation from Franciscan University in 1988 and plans to retire in May 2023.  During the last 34 years she has served in many capacities ranging from preschool teacher to building administrator.  Serving as president of the association for the last 2 years has given her the opportunity to assist her union sisters and brothers to ensure a stronger and more viable future.

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 April 18, 2022.

A School Librarian's Perspective on House Bill 616 - Season 2, Episode 29

ACTION ALERT | Click here to tell your state lawmaker to reject House Bill 616!

MORE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe on Google podcasts.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Courtney Johnson, Library Media Specialist, Fort Hayes Arts & Academic High School, Columbus 
  • Courtney F. Johnson has spent more than half her life teaching kids in Columbus City Schools. Though that makes her feel old, talking to kids about books every day as a high school librarian makes her feel young. Courtney spent 15 years as a high school English teacher, and earned National Board Certification in English Language Arts for Adolescents and Young Adults in 2014. That same year, Courtney’s classroom was the grateful recipient of Penny Kittle’s Book Love Foundation grant. She has spent the past five years using her Master’s in Library Science degree as a Library Media Specialist in Columbus City Schools.

MORE | Click here to read a joint statement from the Columbus Education Association and Columbus City Schools opposing House Bill 616.

MORE | To learn more about Unicorn Express a subscription service that sends books to queer kids to ensure they see themselves reflected in literature, click here.

Connect with us:

• 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 April 19, 2022.

Candidate Conversation: John Cranley - Season 2, Episode 28

MORE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe on Google podcasts.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• John Cranley
  • Democratic candidate for Ohio governor
  • Former Cincinnati mayor
    • John Cranley has devoted his life to helping others and implementing real-world change. His father, a Vietnam veteran, and his mother, a school teacher, taught him the values of faith, service, integrity, and making the world a better place. Raised in the Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, John attended St. Williams Elementary School and St. Xavier High School. He then went on to earn his undergraduate degree from John Carroll University and graduate from Harvard Law School and Harvard Divinity School.
    • Motivated by a deep sense of social justice, John co-founded the Ohio Innocence Project in 2002, which by using DNA technology has exonerated and freed 33 wrongfully convicted people. 
    • John Cranley was elected Mayor of Cincinnati in 2013 and since then has led an unprecedented revitalization of his city; Cincinnati has shown positive population growth for the first time in 60 years. In 2021, the Milken Institute ranked Cincinnati as the best performing city in Ohio, a ranking that evaluates job and wage growth, housing affordability, and high-tech GDP. Throughout his career, Cranley has led historic police reform—Cincinnati is safer while arresting fewer people annually. Under his leadership, the city has also outpaced both the nation and the state of Ohio in poverty reduction. And Mayor Cranley is spearheading an effort to invest in solar energy to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and make Cincinnati a leader in clean energy.
    • Recognizing that climate change is real and that it is going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to address it, John got to work on the municipal level. As mayor, John is overseeing the construction of the largest municipal solar farm in the country to help power Cincinnati. After it is online, city government services will be effectively carbon neutral.
    • As governor, John will lead an Ohio comeback. After years of one-party rule in Columbus, Ohio needs a change. 
    • He has a plan to create 30,000 jobs every year that pay at least $60,000 per year rebuilding roads and bridges, building up broadband access, and creating manufacturing and renewable energy jobs. He’ll help pay for it by legalizing marijuana and using the revenue to rebuild our economy.
    • John will return our energy resources back to the people through an energy dividend. By increasing the severance fee on energy profits, John will provide Ohio families $500 per year; money that can help stretch a family budget. They do it in Alaska and we can do it here.
    • John's wife Dena is the daughter of immigrants. With Sister Barbara Lynch, First Lady of New Jerusalem Baptist Church, she co-founded the First Ladies for Health, an interdenominational effort to improve community health and is currently working to help improve vaccination rates. She also serves as the Program Director for Urban Health at the University of Cincinnati. John and Dena are raising their son Joseph with their values of family, faith, and looking out for the vulnerable among us.
    • Source: Meet John | John Cranley

MORE | Ohio's gubernatorial primaries will be decided on May 3rd. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m that day, but early voting is underway now. 

Here are the declared candidates:

• Democrats
  • Nan Whaley (Click here to listen to the Education Matters episode featuring OEA's conversation with her)
  • John Cranley 
• Republicans
  • Mike DeWine
  • Jim Renacci
  • Joe Blystone
  • Ron Hood

Connect with us:

• 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 March 26, 2022.

Candidate Conversation: Nan Whaley - Season 2, Episode 27

MORE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe on Google podcasts.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Nan Whaley
  • Democratic candidate for Ohio governor
  • Former Dayton mayor
    • Nan grew up in a small town in Indiana. She learned the values of hard work, strength, and resilience from her dad, a union autoworker who lost his job but never lost his dignity, and her mom, who went to work at the laundromat behind their house to help make ends meet. Back then, Ohio was where people went for opportunity, so she attended the University of Dayton, becoming the first person in her family to graduate from college. She met her husband, Sam, and fell in love with her adopted hometown, eventually running for City Commission and mayor.
    • When Nan was first elected Mayor in 2013, Dayton was at a low point. The factories had moved out and the opioids had moved in. But in Dayton, folks don’t run away from their problems. 
      Under her leadership, Dayton has turned a corner. She brought folks together to take on the community’s toughest challenges, including tackling the opioid crisis, cutting overdose deaths by half and saving hundreds of lives. She led the fight to take on a broken education system and provide quality pre-k to every three- and four-year-old in the city. Dayton has become vibrant again as new people and businesses move into the city. 
      When you’re the mayor, you don’t have the luxury of saying, “that’s not my problem.” Over the last two years, Dayton has been tested again and again with crises like a KKK rally, a series of devastating tornadoes, and a senseless mass shooting that left 9 people dead. Each time, Nan stepped up and led her city through its hardest moments. 
    • Now, Nan is running for governor because she knows our state is fundamentally broken and Ohioans deserve better. The same special interests and corrupt politicians have been in charge for 30 years as our state has fallen further behind. Rich campaign donors get rewarded while the rest of us fall further behind. The only answer is a total overhaul. 
      Nan knows we can build a better Ohio. An Ohio where one job is enough to provide for your family. An Ohio where your kids have real opportunities. An Ohio where everyone — no matter your zip code — can thrive.
      • Source: About - Nan Whaley For Ohio

MORE | Ohio's gubernatorial primaries will be decided on May 3rd. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m that day, but early voting is underway now. 

Here are the declared candidates:

• Democrats
  • Nan Whaley
  • John Cranley (who will be featured on the next Education Matters episode)
• Republicans
  • Mike DeWine
  • Jim Renacci
  • Joe Blystone
  • Ron Hood

Connect with us:

• 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 March 26, 2022.

“Celebrate Diversity: Read” – OEA-R Members continue Read Across America campaign - Season 2, Episode 26

MORE | To celebrate Read Across America, OEA-R members have recorded themselves reading books for school kids. Click here to see the full library of videos.

Featured Education Matters guest: 

• Phil A. Long, OEA-R Vice Chair
  • Following an education career of 35.5 years teaching mainly social studies and language arts in the Celina City School system, Phil retired in 2011. During that time, he has continued to travel to over 105 countries and volunteer with various service organizations. Phil volunteers with Our Home Family Resource Center and maintains a connection with Children’s International Summer Villages, a non profit organization promoting peace and cultural understanding, which he has volunteered with since 1982.
  • Phil is currently serving as vice chair of the Ohio Education Association- Retired where he works to involve retirees in educational issues especially those affecting retirees. He has also participated in various NEA-R events and activities. 
  • Since 2014, Phil has served on the Mercer County Board of Elections having served three years as chair. He also served as a Trustee of the Association of Ohio Election Officials. In 2021 Phil was appointed by the OAEO as the representative to the Kids Voting Ohio Board.
  • Education and elections have been major elements of Phil’s life.  Education as critical to bettering the community and world in which we live. By instilling in young people the need to participate in one’s knowledge about the importance of voicing an opinion while respecting other’s point of view, we learn to appreciate and respect other people. The more we know about other people, cultures, and civilization, the better we learn to understand and respect differences. People can have differing opinions and vote differently, but respect is key to working together to make the world better for future generations. 

MORE | Click here to subscribe to Education Matters on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe on Google podcasts.

Connect with us:

• 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 March 28, 2022.