From the President
From the President - Our Place at the Table
There are many challenges and opportunities facing us as an Association. As we consider them-whether they be electing a pro-education President of the United States or leading the way as Ohio's school funding system is reformed-the essence of our work together can be summed up by the need to secure and maintain our place at the table.
Think about the significance of the table. It's so important that even the most sparsely furnished apartment has one. Our basic survival depends on the food we eat from the table. If you're like me, you probably spend a lot of time grading papers at the table, and quality family time is often spent gathering around the table.
Throughout history, we can recall many times when tables were central to people and events that changed the world. How about the table in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed? In 1973, the Paris peace talks that led to the end of the Vietnam War almost collapsed over disagreement over the shape of the table. Not to be forgotten is the mythical round table of King Arthur's time.
The table is where we find our sustenance, both physically and socially. When we're excluded from the table, we're deprived of our basic needs, cut off from each other, and left powerless.
Our work as an Association is all about securing and maintaining our collective place at the table. As a district representing 23,000 members from 13 Central Ohio counties and educators in our state institutions, Central is critical in ensuring that our place at the table of OEA and NEA is secure. Ours is a big union and it's important to make sure our voice isn't drowned out when important decisions about our future are being made.
Has there ever been a time when gaining a place at the table of the State Board of Education has been more important? If you're ever in doubt, just remember the 233% licensure fee increase foisted upon us by the State Board last February. Some on the Board were flabbergasted that OEA members dared to contact them to protest the new $200 license fee. Perhaps we need to remove some of them from the table.
How about the legislative table? We need to be there at the federal level to fix and fund No Child Left Behind and eliminate unfair and costly Social Security offsets. At the state level, our presence at the table is critical to stave off new voucher schemes, protect the integrity of the educational profession in the wake of unprecedented criticism of all of us due to the misdeeds of a tiny minority, and safeguard our collective bargaining rights.
Speaking of collective bargaining, is there any table more significant to many of us than the local negotiating table? We don't think so. That's why Central is continuing to dedicate resources to ensuring that every one of our locals has access to high quality bargaining training.
The table is a symbol of survival, of family, of community, and of power. The good news is that our presence at the policy table is strong and growing. We have Central members fighting for us on the Educator Standards Board, the STRS Board, and the School Employees Health Care Board. Our political action team is working hard every day to ensure that the voice of teachers and education support professionals who work with students every day is heard in the legislature. And, as Governor Ted Strickland has facilitated his "conversations on education" around the state in recent weeks, dozens of Central members have added their voices to the debate over how best to reform Ohio's educational system to meet the 21st-century needs of our students.
For all our successes, we still have a long way to go, and the only way we'll be able to expand and keep our place at the table is through your involvement. Strong and politically active local associations are critical to our collective success, and we're here to help keep you connected, trained, and supported in your efforts.
More good news is that our Central OEA/NEA table is large, and we will continue to extend it to ensure that every committed member has a seat at our table. We know that every single one of you has unique talents to offer, and we welcome your participation in whatever program or committee fits your needs.
Securing a place at the table takes time, courage, and commitment. Being at the table also requires responsibility, thoughtfulness, and a sense of purpose. Whether the arena is the State House or the local bargaining table, when we're there, it's not enough to simply rail against the things we don't like, but to engage in problem-solving in a way that meets the needs of our members and students. As we all consider the importance of winning our place at the table, I offer these words from Theodore Roosevelt:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the one who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place shall never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
We cannot be timid. Together, let us toil valiantly at the table of public education to ensure great public schools for every child and a powerful, positive voice for the members we serve.
