Central Ohio Rank and file Educators (CORE), a group of unionized educators, are holding a national day of action for May Day, in coordination with local groups and national movements by 50501 and Indivisible. The “Fight for Public Education” action will be at the Ohio Statehouse May 1 4:30-7 pm and prioritizes fair and full funding of Ohio public schools and protections for students and families.
“The state funding bill came out, HB 96, and it was just absolutely decimating us in Columbus City Schools but also pretty much everywhere else” says Kelsey Gray, English teacher at Independence High School and CEA organizing chair. Despite enrolling almost 90 percent of Ohio students, Ohio public schools are already inadequately funded and DeWine’s proposed budget, HB 96, would dismantle the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP), underfunding public schools by $2.75 billion while increasing funding for vouchers and charter schools. CORE members, parents, and community members are building energy and unification that will extend beyond May 1.
After the national call for May Day actions, CORE began meeting weekly to plan, each week drawing more and more people into a quickly growing, coordinated effort met with profound solidarity. “The working class has got to be together and that means fighting for everyone and fighting right now for people that are under direct attack from the state and federal government” says Gray. The issue goes beyond state funding. Some wealthier districts would gain money from the budget but that did not stop teachers unions in those districts from being ready to fight in solidarity with CORE.
Academic freedom is also at the center of CORE’s focus. SB 1 banned diversity, equity, and inclusion programming, prohibited faculty strikes, restricted the teaching of “controversial topics” and more across Ohio’s public higher ed institutions. With public education being threatened at every level, CORE was met with support from higher ed including the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Columbus State Education Association (CSEA).
This struggle has galvanized a broad network of educators, parents, and community stakeholders in the fight for public education. Though unclear what direction the movement will take after May Day, Gray would love to strengthen collective bargaining rights. “Ohio lawmakers ensure that [bargaining] is kept behind closed doors” making it difficult to tell the whole story, that teachers and parents are fighting for the same things. Gray highlights a narrative that circulates in schools, that teachers think parents can’t parent anymore and vice versa. “And neither side is true. I don't know parents that think that and I don't think that about parents. That's a boss tactic, pitting people against each other. And you really start to think, who's the boss? … It’s the legislators. They have a lot to gain by dividing us but we won’t be divided anymore.” Despite the divide and conquer tactics used against them, educators and parents are committed to fighting for public education together. Notably, the Columbus Education Justice Coalition (CEJC), a group of community partners, parents, students, educators, and labor union members born out of the 2022 CEA strike has continued to gain power in their fight for public education in Columbus City Schools. “They have won so much for our schools. When our school board tried to close twenty schools last spring, CEJC did not let that happen” says Gray.
CORE hosts a long list of endorsers including unions and associations across a range of professions, community groups, and political organizations. With all of the organizing happening across Central Ohio, now is a critical time to get plugged in.
