On today’s episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), discussed the potential challenges facing educators with the incoming presidential administration and the importance of innovative educational programs.
Cropper expressed her concerns about Project 2025, a plan that could eliminate the Department of Education. While such a move would require congressional approval, it poses significant risks, including the loss of federal funds and protections for marginalized students. She spoke about the potential for federal funds to be manipulated through grants, which could impose restrictive conditions on states. Despite these challenges, she urged educators to remain committed and to continue to advocate for the rights of students and teachers.
On a positive note, Cropper shared an exciting development from Van Wert County in Western Ohio, where an innovative educational program is making a difference. The high school's robotics program and Career Education Opportunity provide students with hands-on learning experiences and real-world skills. These initiatives not only enhance academic learning but also foster community connections and prepare students for future careers. She emphasized the importance of showcasing such programs to highlight the positive impact of public education.
Cropper also addressed a current legislative issue in Ohio regarding religious release time for students. A proposed bill could mandate that all schools must allow students to leave school for religious instruction during the school day. The OFT opposes this measure on the grounds of local control, arguing that schools should have the autonomy to decide if and how such programs are implemented. Cropper stressed the need for community collaboration and local decision-making in educational matters.
Listen to the full episode to discover how the Ohio Federation of Teachers works to protect and promote quality education for all students.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
