September 2024
Important Dates for November 5 General Election
Find your polling location here
One of the most important issues on the Ballot is Issue One. The language on the ballot may be confusing and misleading. That is intentional. If you want to get rid of Gerrymandering you must vote YES.
OEA Recommended Candidates
U.S. President/Vice President—Kamala Harris (D)/Tim Walz (D)
U.S. Senate—Sherrod Brown (D)
Ohio Supreme Court Justice
Melody Stewart
Michael Donnelly
Lisa Forbes
Issue 1—Anti Gerrymandering Amendment Vote Yes
Ohio House
HD 13 Tristan Rader (D)
HD 14 Sean Brennan (D)*
HD 15 Chris Glassburn (D)
HD 16 Bride Rose Sweeney (D)*
HD 18 Juanita Brent (D)*
HD 19 Phil Robinson (D)*
HD 20 Terrence Upchurch (D)*
HD 21 Eric Synenberg (D)
HD 22 Darnell Brewer (D)
HD 23 Daniel Troy (D)*
HD 31 Bill Roemer (R)
HD 33 Veronica Sims (D)
HD 34 Derrick Hall (D)
HD 35 Mark Curtis (D)
HD 52 Gayle Manning(R)
HD 53 Joe Miller (D)*
HD 57 Jamie Callender(R)
HD 58 Lauren McNally (D)
HD 64 Lauren Mathews (D
Ohio Senate
SD 2 Paloma De La Fuente (D)
SD 18 Katie O’Neill (D)
SD 24 Tom Patton (R)
SD 28 Casey Weinstein (D)
SD 32 Michael Shrodek (D)
US Congress
CD 9 Marcy Kaptur (D) CD 13 Emilia Sykes (D)
CD 11 Shontel Brown (D)
State Board of Education
Dist. 8 Karen Lloyd
Dist. 11 Delores Ford
* Indicates Friendly Incumbent
This listing includes NEOEA areas.
See the complete list of all Endorsed Candidates in a list that you can print and take with you to the polls: OEA Election Guide
Non-Partisan Guide to Presidential Candidates
OEA Endorsed Candidate Expanded Information Site
https://ballot.ohea.org/ballot/
OEA Past President and NEOEA-R Organizing Committee Member Patricia Frost-Brooks delivered an address on the need to pass the Constitutional Amendment to end Gerrymandering to Union Members at a Community Meeting in Sheffield on October 10, 2024.
Right now in Ohio, politicians and lobbyists manipulate voting districts to protect their interests and guarantee their re-election. As a result, incumbents running for reelection almost never lose. In other words, we let politicians choose their voters.
The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment bans lobbyists and politicians from the process and instead empowers voters to choose their politicians. Join us today to restore power to where it belongs: with citizens, not politicians.
The OEA Educational Foundation is holding our bi-annual fundraiser on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Our goal is to celebrate Public Education and to raise $50,000 for the Foundation to continue making a difference in education. The event will run from 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM at Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in downtown Columbus.
July 2024
OEA Recommends Sandy Smith Fischer for STRS Board
The OEA Board of Directors has recommended Sandy Smith Fischer for election to the STRS Board. She is running for an open seat representing active teachers on the eleven-member board.
Smith Fischer is an Intervention Specialist in the Streetsboro City Schools. She has twice served as President of her local association and is currently a building representative in her local in addition to serving as Secretary of her Leadership Council.
She strongly believes in standing up for others, especially her fellow educators, and sees serving on the STRS Board as a way to continue her advocacy for the profession. As a member of the Board, she will work to maintain a stable and reliable pension for current and future retired teachers, restore benefits, and manage risks to keep our pension system strong.
Ballots will be mailed to active employees who contribute to STRS and should arrive at their homes this week. Members can vote by mail, phone, or internet. Votes must be received by May 6, 2024. If you do not receive a ballot by April 10 or lose your ballot, please email the Election Services help desk at STRSOHHelp@electionservicescorp.com or call 866-276-1506.
For more information about OEA’s recommended candidate for the STRS Board, please visit https://www.ohea.org/get-involved/oea-strs-board-endorsements/
OEA Continues to Advocate for Member Retirement Security
Recommending qualified candidates for retirement system boards is just one way that OEA advocates for the retirement benefits that public education employees need and deserve. Others include advocating for active and retired members in retirement board decisions and legislative advocacy.
In recent years, as the financial status of STRS has improved, there have been several benefit changes to restore benefits to active and retired teachers. This includes a 3% cost-of-living allowance (COLA) for retirees in FY 2023 and a 1% COLA in FY 2024. Additionally, the retiree health care program is fully solvent and has seen lower premiums and rebates for enrollees in recent years.
Regarding retirement eligibility, the years of service required to retire continue to decrease incrementally. Last month, the STRS Board voted unanimously to make a permanent change to retirement eligibility to 34 years of service at any age for full benefits. Additionally, members can retire with reduced benefits with 29 years of service at any age. OEA continues to advocate that benefits be restored to active and retired members as the financial condition of STRS improves.
Additionally, OEA supports legislative proposals to increase the employer contribution to STRS to improve the financial status of the pension plan and speed the restoration of benefits. Employer contribution rates have not changed in decades and lag behind other states. At the same time, employees have seen their benefits cut and their contributions increase. This will be a difficult road, but OEA is committed to working with our members and other stakeholder groups to seek this needed change.
Another area of OEA’s advocacy is in fighting for fairness for public employees by seeking repeal of the unfair Social Security offsets. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) are provisions of federal law that reduce the earned Social Security benefits of public employees who also receive a public pension in states like Ohio that do not pay into Social Security. OEA and NEA members have long advocated for repeal of these laws. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is the lead sponsor of a bill to repeal GPO and WEP and a bill in the US House of Representatives has over 300 bipartisan cosponsors. OEA members can also help by contacting their State Senator to support House Concurrent Resolution 6, which would urge Congress to support the repeal of GPO and WEP. Members can take action by clicking here.
The events will include complimentary food and beverages, and bowlers and spectators alike will be entered to win prizes throughout the evening. Three inaugural events have been planned at various locations throughout the NEOEA District.
When: Saturday, April 13th 2024
Where: Spins Bowl – Independence
5619 Brecksville Rd., Independence OH, 44131
Time: Doors Open at 1:30 PM. Bowling Begins at 2:00 PM
More information and registration: https://oeafund.info/neoeaclebowling
When: Saturday, April 6th, 2024
Where: Nautical Bowling Lanes
184 Miller Road., Avon Lake, OH 44012
Time: Doors Open at 1:30 PM. Bowling Begins at 2:00 PM
More information and registration: https://oeafund.info/neoeafirebowling
When: Saturday, March 23rd 2024
Where: Westside Bowl
2617 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown, OH 44509
Time: Doors Open at 1:30 PM. Bowling Begins at 2:00 PM
More information and registration: https://oeafund.info/neoeamahbowling
Join the OEA-Retired Racial and Social Justice Committee Book Study for another year of exciting discussions!
All OEA members are invited to join us on this journey. We aim to inspire engaging conversations on books that relate to everyday experiences on the topics of racial and social justice. This will help us learn from each other and grow in understanding.
All sessions will be virtual on Zoom and most sessions will take place the third Monday of each month from 7pm-8pm with exceptions for holidays.
The January and February 2024 dates will occur on:
Tuesday, January 16th at 7pm, Monday, February 26th at 7pm
Book Reading Schedule:
A certificate of attendance will be issued to all participants based on the hours they attend. Approval for CEU credits is dependent upon your local LPDC committee.
* If you have registered for an event before, you do not have to register again.
Please contact Bob Maher, Co-Chair, OEA-Retired Racial and Social Justice Committee, rm823990@ohio.edu with questions regarding the study.
REMINDER
OEA Fund House District Screening Committees
It’s not too late to volunteer!
Get your name and address to OEA-R now: oea-retired@ohea.org
OEA-R Members have the opportunity to serve their colleagues and the education community at large by serving on an OEA Fund House District Screening Committee.
Elected and appointed officials control nearly every decision about public education. OEA Fund Screening Committees screen and endorse candidates for the Ohio Legislature that are pro-education and pro-union.
The screening meeting includes representatives from each OEA local association within the house district and is usually scheduled for late afternoon/early evening and may take 1-2 hours.
Each committee invites candidates for Ohio House District Representative to complete a questionnaire on issues from OEA’s education policy agenda for public education in Ohio. This includes: funding, charter schools, collective bargaining rights, school safety, etc.
OEA Governmental Services Staff provides the committee a district profile that contains the political make-up of the district, important information about an incumbent’s voting record, and their willingness to work with OEA members and staff on legislative issues. Issues such as candidate’s competitiveness and chances of winning are also considered.
The committee members interview each candidate, asking the same questions based on the questionnaire. After a thorough discussion, a decision is made for: Endorsement, No Position, or No Endorsement. Endorsed candidates are eligible for campaign contributions from the OEA Fund.
The OEA Fund is the state political action committee (PAC) for members of the Ohio Education Association. It is funded with voluntary contributions from OEA members, members’ families, and OEA staff. Voluntary contributions support candidates that support the Association’s educational policy agenda. No dues money is permitted to be used.
Members may contribute by clicking on the purple “Donate” button at the top right of the OEA website https://www.ohea.org/.
House District Screening Committees are being re-formed for the 2023-2024 Campaign. As usual, this will be the most important election of our lives. Please consider volunteering to serve and represent your fellow retirees in supporting education friendly candidates.
If you are interested in serving on a House District Screening Committee with local leaders from associations within the HD, you must act quickly!
Reorganization meetings for all HDs and SDs in NEOEA DSCs are scheduled for:
NEW THIS YEAR – The only retirees permitted to participate in the meetings are those appointed by OEA-R.
Please send your name and address to OEA-R Leadership indicating your desire to be appointed:
More on the OEA Fund Reorganization:
Please review the OEA Fund Reorganization PowerPoint for details on this year’s plan:
The reorganization for 2023-2024 will be based on the new 2024-2032 district maps from the Ohio Legislature:
NEW THIS YEAR – Any retiree can be appointed by OEA-R to any HD Screening Committee regardless of where they live.
As member of an HD committee, you also serve on the SD committee for that HD.
A screening committee member need only contribute $1.00 to the OEA Fund to be eligible to serve.
During the reorganization meeting, each HD and SD Committee will select: