Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and spoke about Ohio’s upcoming August special election. Cropper also talked about a rally in Cincinnati with John Legend and Ohio’s student voucher program.
Cropper spoke about the “Vote No to Issue 1” initiative, which is a joint effort by organized labor in Ohio to educate the public about the special election. Even though teachers are on summer break, they have helped to spread the word about the election and get as many people to the polls as possible. Cropper is positive the OFT’s message is getting through and noted that Ohioans' ability to make changes to policy has always served as the last line of defense against poor lawmaking decisions.
She also discussed an upcoming OFT rally in Cincinnati that will feature John Legend. Cropper will introduce Legend to the crowd, and the Ohio native will help to spread the message about the August Special Election. She encourages people to visit with Legend, then cross the street and vote or vice versa. The most important thing, she stressed, is for everyone to vote.
Cropper also shared her thoughts on the implementation of Ohio’s student voucher program. Recent changes to the program now make all students in Ohio eligible for at least 10 percent of a school voucher. These vouchers will help fund private schools with public money, as $2 billion was set aside in Ohio’s biennial budget for the voucher program. However, she noted that despite the vouchers, any special needs and accommodations needed still must be provided by public schools.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.