Columbus teachers union closer to striking, college leaders attend anti-hazing summit
Hey, Columbus!
It is ~officially~ back-to-school season! I know, I know. A lot of you are still on summer break, and I envy all of you. But Target has had school supplies on display since the Fourth of July, so that's who you should really be upset with.
Several Greater Columbus school districts are welcoming students back this week, including Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools, Groveport Madison Local Schools and Westerville City Schools.
As a higher ed reporter, I have a few more weeks before the fall semester begins at Ohio's colleges. But I've got plenty of stories for you in the works until then.
And while I still have your attention, I have a quick favor to ask! My colleagues Megan Henry, Michael Lee and I are conducting a little survey to see what education stories our readers want to see this school year. Whether you're a parent, teacher, student, or something in between, we want to hear from you!
You can fill out our survey at this link. It will take you two minutes tops. Thank you in advance!
Review Session: It's been a contentious couple of weeks between Columbus City Schools' teachers union and its board of education.
At its members meeting Thursday, the Columbus Education Association's legislative assembly unanimously voted to issue a 10-day notice of the union's intent to strike to Columbus City Schools.
This vote doesn't mean it will strike right away. From now until Aug. 11, the union can file its 10-day notice of its intent to strike with the State Employment Relations Board. Union members could end up striking as early as Aug. 22, which is the first day teachers return to work in the district. They would then meet on Aug. 21 to vote on whether to officially initiate a strike.
This vote was the outcome of rising tension between CEA and the district's board of education after bargaining sessions about a teachers' contract ended in July.
"We don't want a strike, but our students, teachers and community deserve a contract that supports and bolsters learning conditions," CEA spokesperson Regina Fuentes said. "Our vote tonight should send a strong message to the board to return to the bargaining table immediately."
The last time the district went on strike was in 1975.
Megan and Michael will continue to follow this story as it unfolds. You can catch up with Michael's latest story about the vote at this link.
Extra Credit:
Multiple Greater Columbus school districts, including Westerville and South-Western, are opening new buildings to students this year. Megan has a roundup of construction details and some sneak-peeks inside.
College leaders from around the state gathered at Bowling Green State University Tuesday for the first Ohio Anti-Hazing Summit.
My husband and I recently tested ourselves to see if we could pass the U.S. citizenship test. The New York Times has a great little quiz for those who want to test themselves. How did you do?
As always, thank you for reading! If you aren't already, please consider subscribing to the Dispatch. And if someone sent you this email, make sure you subscribe to this newsletter to never miss an issue.
Until next week,
Sheridan Hendrix
Email: shendrix@dispatch.com
Twitter: @sheridan120
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus teachers union closer to striking
