Columbus Teachers Strike for Safe Schools and More

The new agreement encompasses salary enhancements and an innovative parental leave program for educators. Moreover, it incorporates restrictions on the number of district positions that can be outsourced to companies located outside the city. Furthermore, it establishes unprecedented limits on the allocation of buildings to art, music, and PE teachers, with the aim of ensuring one specialist per subject per building through careful scheduling. Additionally, the contract includes reductions in class-size limits at all educational levels, resulting in a decrease of two students per classroom throughout the duration of the agreement. Additionally, it guarantees that all areas dedicated to student learning will be equipped with climate-control systems by the academic year 2025-2026, and that all schools will have heating and air-conditioning. We extend our congratulations to the educators in Columbus! After joining forces with parents and fellow teachers, they have successfully reached a mutually acceptable agreement after three days of striking.

Last autumn, temperatures in Columbus, Ohio, reached 94 degrees. Just attempt to learn long division in such scorching weather.

Class sizes are also large, consistently exceeding 30 to 34 students.

Columbus teachers know what their students need and deserve, which includes well-maintained and safe classrooms, as well as individualized attention and one-on-one inspiration to help students reach their full potential.

This is the cause for which the nearly 4,500 educators of the Columbus Education Association are advocating.

On Monday, educators from the CEA started their strike, and students and parents joined them at picket locations across the city this week. Negotiators from the district have refused to provide them with a contract during these prolonged negotiations, and students in Columbus are affected by these circumstances.

“We desire greater opportunities for our students in Columbus,” expressed Regina Fuentes, a teacher at Eastmoor Academy and spokesperson for CEA.

The three main concerns motivating CEA members to take a stance are:.

A Columbus teacher inquires, “How is it possible for a single individual to address the educational and emotional needs of such a large number of children!” It is simply impossible for one teacher to cater to the unique and personalized requirements of each student, every hour of the day, considering the classes consistently exceed 34 students. Teachers argue that as class sizes increase, individualized attention diminishes – this is a basic calculation. The size of the class plays a significant role.

Yvonne Robertson and Joe Decker Columbus Strike
Joe Decker and colleague Yvonne Roberson on the picket line.

Another math problem that Columbus schools confront is the need for increasing attention and reducing class sizes, which would have long gone a way to deserve and need students’ Columbus attention of kind. CEA pointed out that the city gave away more than $50 million in tax breaks to corporations and real-estate developers last year, so the money could have been used to pay for an additional 534 teachers.

He exclaims, “I’m constantly worried, sweat drips on the page of the kid.” Joe Decker, the social studies teacher, refrains from leaning over students’ desks to check their work. On hot days, he studies while the air conditioning is on.

At Lowe’s, Decker purchased a loud industrial fan for himself. He and his students utilize it in classrooms, which are not included in the consistently air-conditioned areas such as the library, the computer lab, and the main office. Mifflin Middle School, the educational institution where Decker teaches, only has a few of these fans available.

“Your heart shatters when you see children withering,” he states.

“As the days go by, we have seen a gradual increase in temperatures, reaching up to 100 degrees. Although it may seem like the best thing to do is to let the kids know that we are almost done, Decker advises us to be cautious. The consequences of this climate change are alarming and it is important for Columbus’ schools to have proper air conditioning. Educators must ensure that students’ basic physical needs are met in order to prepare them for learning.”

Educators who have other health concerns and students who suffer from asthma are being put at risk due to the lack of attention and promptness in addressing the situation, according to his statement. He emphasizes the necessity of safeguarding educators and our children, and insists that this must be clearly specified and agreed upon in the contract.

Students in the suburbs of Ohio are practically guaranteed a well-rounded curriculum, where teachers of P.E., Music, and art inspire and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and teamwork.

Vera Allen and daughter
Vera Allen’s daughter spent her first day of school supporting her mom and teachers on the picket line!

It is an impossible task for one teacher to be responsible for several hundred students in Columbus, which means they aren’t getting the education they deserve and need. However, it is not uncommon for several elementary schools in Columbus to attempt to serve students with a single teacher for P.E., Music, or art.

According to Vera Allen, a music and theater educator in Columbus, “It is detrimental to our society to withhold the education that these students deserve. That’s an undeniable truth. There is ample evidence emphasizing the role of music in shaping the cognitive growth of young minds. I mean…Seriously!”

Today! “I cannot even express the number of parents and students who participated in the strike today!” Exclaims Allen, whose 5-year-old daughter joined her on the strike line on Wednesday. According to Allen, who was accompanied by her 5-year-old daughter on the strike line on Wednesday, teachers and parents are aware that this is precisely what full-time art, music, and physical education teachers would offer to students in every elementary school in Columbus. The current market is influenced by technology, innovation, and cooperative efforts.