Columbus teachers union rallies outside board meeting over homeless student program staff

Michael Lee, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read
June 21, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, United States; Members of the Columbus Education Association hold up umbrellas against the sun as they rallied outside Tuesday evening's Columbus City Schools board meeting in temperatures that exceeded 90 degrees. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch
June 21, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, United States; Members of the Columbus Education Association hold up umbrellas against the sun as they rallied outside Tuesday evening's Columbus City Schools board meeting in temperatures that exceeded 90 degrees. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch

The Columbus Education Association rallied outside before Tuesday night's Columbus City Schools Board of Education meeting, accusing the district of violating their contract by unilaterally trying to remove members of a program for homeless students from contract negotiations.

CEA spokesperson Regina Fuentes said the district was rewriting the job descriptions of union members who are a part of the district's Project Connect program — which provides services for homeless students and their families — without talking with the union first.

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June 21, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, United States; CEA spokesperson Regina Fuentes chants along with members of the Columbus Education Association during a rally outside Tuesday evening's Columbus City Schools board meeting at the South Administrative Building on South High Street. Fuentes told the Dispatch that the district was rewriting the job descriptions of union members who are a part of the district's Project Connect program Ñ which provides services for homeless students and their families Ñ without talking with the union first. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch

Why is the Columbus teachers union upset with changes to the Project Connect program?

Fuentes said not only would the reworking of the position result in a pay cut for the school staff who work with the program, but also would "strip them of their union status" so they would no longer be protected under collective bargaining. She added the changes could possibly deter people from applying to work with the program.

"We have nearly or more than 2,000 children (and their families) in the district who utilize these resources," Fuentes said. "What the district in a nutshell is trying to do is go behind the scenes without having any type of discussion with us."

In a press release, the union stated that it obtained an internal Columbus City Schools email in response to a public records request which allegedly proves that the district rewrote the Project Connect program bargaining members' agreements without conversing with the union.

The CEA said the action is "a violation of the collective bargaining agreement and state law."

“Our students who are experiencing homelessness are not second-class citizens and deserve the same access to CEA professionals as all of our other students,” said CEA President John Coneglio in the release. “The district’s unilateral decision to outsource these jobs shines a bright light on the lengths the district is willing to go to deprioritize the resources our vulnerable students need.”

June 21, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, United States; Members of the Columbus Education Association rally outside Tuesday evening's Columbus City Schools board meeting at the South Administrative Building on South High Street. The union alleges that the district has rewritten the job descriptions of staff who work with the Project Connect Program and that the employees who work with the program will be hit with a huge pay cut and be removed from their union status. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch

Columbus City Schools responds with statement

In a statement, Columbus City Schools did not address the allegations of a contract violation. The district stated it "created new employment classifications within the classified civil service" — academic youth support advocates and a student services program coordinator — to provide "non-instructional support for homeless students and their families."

The district added that students will not "receive any lesser services than provided in the past."

June 21, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, United States; A woman chants as a man holds a sign stating his opinion of outsourcing as members of the Columbus Education Association rallied outside Tuesday evening's Columbus City Schools board meeting at the South Administrative Building on South High Street. The union alleges that the district has rewritten the job descriptions of staff who work with the Project Connect Program and that the employees who work with the program will be hit with a huge pay cut and be removed from their union status. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch

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"We treasure every student who walks through our doors, regardless of where they attend school or where they reside. We want all students to be successful and will provide them with the tools they need to advance in the classroom and in life. All of our students, including our homeless students, receive instruction from our dedicated, licensed teachers." the statement read.

"Change, even when challenging, is sometimes necessary. But the bottom line is that we will always keep our students as our top priority."

@leem386

mylee@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus teachers union rallies over homeless student program