Elevating Education Support Professionals' voices. Plus, OEA's "Ohio Schools" magazine goes digital

Every day, it takes a whole team of educators to help Ohio's public school students succeed, and Education Support Professionals (ESPs) are a vital part of that team. On this episode of Public Education Matters, we hear from three ESP leaders about the challenges faced by their ESP colleagues and the value of union membership for ESPs. We also hear from the editor of OEA's "Ohio Schools" magazine about the first-ever digital edition of that publication and the cost savings the move will achieve. 

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CATCH UP ON OHIO SCHOOLS | Click here to read past issues of OEA's "Ohio Schools" magazine and see new editions as they are released.

LEARN MORE | For more information about the Ohio Association of Education Support Professionals (OAESP), a department within OEA, or for more information about ESP career families and the vital work ESPs do in Ohio's public schools, click here.

Featured Public Education Matters guests: 

Tammy LaPlante, Ashtabula Association of School Employees "I am Tammy LaPlante, your OAESP Chair. I am a 17 year middle school custodian for Ashtabula Area City Schools, taking on a majority roles on the executive team within my first year. I am currently my locals Vice-president. A 2023 Graduate of the NEA ESPLI program. I advocate for members to create better working conditions that benefits their students' learning environment. I am on the OEA Board and enjoy the learning experience it has given me to shape the person I am. They are a family environment. Watching the students grow up was like watching my own children. I have seen the changes in them and them seeking me out just to say “Hi” when they realize I’m in their building. I’m pleased to be part of “My Union Family”! I am furthering my education taking online classes in Business Management Operations.  Ironically it aligns with a lot of my union involvement."Tammy LaPlante was recently featured by the National Education Association in a Member & Activist Spotlight. Read the story here:  'Keep moving forward – together' Joie Moore, Pickerington Support Staff AssociationJoie Moore serves as the president of the Pickerington Support Staff Association, as a board member of Central OEA/NEA, and as an OEA board of director, Central Unit 2.  She is a participant in the OEA ESP Educator Voice Academy and a 2023 NEA ESP Leadership Academy graduate.  Joie is married to Greg, a fellow OEA member, for almost 24 years.  Joie and Greg have two adult children, who both graduated from Pickerington Schools, Frankie (22) and Nick (19).  In her downtime Joie enjoys spending time with her family, crafting and reading. Cheryl Williams, Dublin Support Association Cheryl Williams began her career in public education in 2001. She has been an Administrative Secretary for the past 19 years. Prior to joining Dublin City Schools, she spent 5 years in Southwestern City Schools in a variety of education support positions such as cook, paraprofessional, clinic aide and also as an attendance secretary. An advocate for education support professionals (ESPs), Cheryl is a member of the Ohio Association of Education Support Professionals (OAESP) where she serves as treasurer and the National Council of Education Support Professionals (NCESP). She is in her third term as president of her local. Cheryl is member of several committees at the local, state, and national levels of the association including an appointment to the NEA Resolutions committee by President Becky Pringle. Cheryl has been a delegate to the OEA and NEA annual Representative Assemblies since 2014. She also graduated from the NEA's Education Support Professional Leadership Institute in 2023. Cheryl was selected from among hundreds of applicants to take part in that yearlong program that brings together 40 ESPs from around the country to focus on developing leadership skills.  
Cheryl also has served on the OEA Education Foundation as a member of the board of directors.Julie Newhall, Writer and Publications Editor, Ohio Education Association The daughter of a NE Ohio art teacher and a graphic designer, Julie Newhall grew up with a deep appreciation for art, history, and literature, passions boosted by high school art, Latin, and journalism studies and co-editing the school newspaper. As an undergraduate at the University of Akron, Newhall studied print journalism and design and was a writer for the university’s alumni magazine and faculty and staff newspaper. She spent several years as a marketing manager for a magazine publishing company before heading to Northwestern University where she earned a master’s degree in journalism. After working as an editor for the University of Chicago, she joined OEA as editor of Ohio Schools Magazine in September 1997, a role that combined her love of education, editing, and publications. In 2015, she was recognized with the George Badner Award for Excellence in Editing and honored as Editor of the Year among NEA state affiliates. For Newhall, the most meaningful part of her work is sharing the stories of OEA members and having the opportunity to see firsthand the difference they make in the lives of so many students.
 

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About us:

The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.Public Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May 2020, after a ten-year career as an Emmy Award winning television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a f...