President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, Melissa Cropper, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about updates in the decision-making process for the state’s educational system and the increased discussions around banned book lists.
In Ohio, the State Board of Education is made up of 19 members, 11 elected members and 8 appointed by the governor. Following last year's election for the State Board, state legislators pushed through a bill to remove decision-making authority from the Board. The legislation then gave policy decisions to a newly formed committee, called the Department of Education and Workforce, which is directly supervised by the Governor. Five State Board members have filed a lawsuit against the state, seeking to overturn the new committee.
The lawsuit has since changed, and instead of the Board members being the plaintiff, it is now the parents of the students in Ohio. There was a massive push against the policy before it was passed during budget negotiations, and parents have continued to be vocal about the unconstitutional nature of the bill. There are hopes the lawsuit will eventually overturn the legislation and prevent further damage to the education system, Cropper said. Until a decision is made on the lawsuit, no educational bills can be discussed, holding back several crucial issues in Ohio schools.
Banned Book Week has been around for a long time, however this year, more people were interested in the week's events, Cropper said. She discussed a blog written by OFT member Jen Collata that describes a book that helped her find herself while growing up, and now this book is found on several banned book lists. Several books that help young children find their true selves, are now showing up on banned books lists, Cropper said. There should be no limit in a Democratic society to the books and learning that people can access to, and until most people stand up, the limiting of content will continue.
To hear more from Cropper, please listen to the episode above.
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