Education Advocacy

 

The Week Ahead... Join us in the weeks ahead for an array of local and national honesty-focused panels, training, and workshops that are geared to build knowledge, capacity, and community around honest education. We're proud to highlight the events and resources of our partners, near and far, who are working to: Protect Students and Educators Advance Anti-Racist Initiatives Defend LGBTQ+ Rights Champion Social-Emotional Learning Advocate for Fair School Funding Combat Book Bans Build Communication Skills for Honest and Courageous Conversations CHECK OUT THE EVENTS BELOW!   GET OUT THE VOTE! Ohio Primary Election: May 3, 2022 Voter Registration Deadline: April 4, 2022 Register to Vote NOW -- Do Not wait! IMPORTANT Already registered to vote? Check your voter registration status to confirm your information is up-to-date and to ensure you were not purged from the Ohio voter registration rolls. ••• Election Resources Head to our Election page to register, learn about Ohio's three different options for voting, and how to research your candidates. GOTV HERE   UPDATES STATEHOUSE HB 322 & HB 327 - DIVISIVE CONCEPT BILLS There is no scheduled activity for HB 322 or 327 this week.  TAKE ACTION ACLU: Pledge to Defend Every Student's Right to Learn HERE Ohio Library Council: Contact Your State Representative About HB 327 HERE Council of American-Islamic Relations: Oppose HB 327, Ensure Safe Learning Spaces for Muslim & Minority Students HERE NEWS & MEDIA Mar 21, From libraries to police training: Controversial Ohio education bill goes beyond classroom, Dispatch Mar 20, Ohio Legislature eyes divisive education bills, Yellow Springs News Mar 18, Appalling legislative attempt to muzzle Ohio teachers, restrict educational content, Cleveland.com Mar 14, Dayton's Mayor calls H.B. 327 dangerous, how it would impact you, Dayton 24/7 HB 327 RESOURCES TAKE ACTION Against HB 327 HERE HB 327 Testimony Workshop WATCH | SLIDES Learn About HB 322 and HB 327 HERE Status of HB 322 HERE | HB 327 HERE House State and Local Government Committee HERE Statehouse TAKE ACTION Toolkit HERE  STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION NEXT STATE BOARD MEETING Monday and Tuesday, April 11-12, 2022  Public comment presented on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 Location: 25 S. Front Street, Columbus Meeting Information HERE Important Issues for April Meeting: 1) Hiring Ohio's Next State Superintendent The State Board is searching for Ohio's next state superintendent of public instruction. This state role is responsible for the leadership and administration of the Ohio Department of Education, which educates some 1.7 million students in 4,778 schools, across 610+ school districts. Help ensure the candidate is qualified to lead, has a professional background that centers children and families, and brings a deep understanding and commitment to the Each Child Our Future Strategic Plan and the Whole Child Framework.  Learn how you can TAKE ACTION HERE 2) Speak Up for Social-Emotional Learning Help guard against efforts to remove social-emotional learning standards from Ohio education. Learn about the importance of Social-Emotional Learning and why it belongs in education: CASEL American Federation of Teachers Children's Defense Fund Ohio SEL Fact Sheet   HOW YOU CAN HELP: 1) Contact YOUR State Board Member: Email or phone your State Board representative. Contacts HERE 2) Submit Letters to the Editor: Use our hard-working local media to amplify what matters in education. Tips HERE 2) SPEAK OUT at the April State Board Meeting: Attend the meeting and present your comment in person. Instructions HERE 3) Submit Written Comment for the State Board Meeting: Email your written comment to the Board. Instructions HERE SBOE RESOURCES: Learn about the Each Child Our Future Strategic Plan HERE Learn about the Whole Child Framework HERE TAKE ACTION to Select the Next State Superintendent HERE TAKE ACTION Toolkit HERE Watch Previous SBOE Meetings HERE Download Meeting Schedules and Materials HERE Contact SBOE Members HERE K-16 Campuses   PEN America Free Expression Essay Competition Open to High School and College Students PEN America is hosting a national student essay competition about the role of free expression in today’s world. Students: What do you think about the threats to this crucial right? PEN America will award $15,000 in prizes to the competition winners. Winning essays will be published on PEN America’s website, and promoted on social media channels. Submission deadline is April 15, 2022  LEARN MORE EVENTS COMING UP... Tuesday, March 22, 7:30pm Sweep Salon: Building Coalitions HOSTED BY: Red, Wine & Blue REGISTER Tuesday, March 22, 7pm Essential Questions and Answers: Honesty in Education HOSTED BY: League of Women Voters Ashtabula & Ashtabula NAACP REGISTER Thursday, March 24, 7pm Fair School Funding: The Unfinished Agenda and How to Win HOSTED BY: League of Women Voters Ohio ​REGISTER Thursday, March 24, 7:30pm Troublemaker Training: Book Ban Edition HOSTED BY: Red, Wine & Blue REGISTER Monday, March 28, 7pm Honesty in Education HOSTED BY: Federated Social Justice Advocacy Ministry (SJAM), Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and the Sadler Institute for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (SIJEDI)  JOIN Thursday, March 31, 6pm Limiting Critical Race Theory and the Effect on Education, Non-Profit Organizations and Governmental Systems HOSTED BY: United Way Cleveland REGISTER Friday, April 1, Noon Honesty Lunch & Learn: Combatting Book Bans in Ohio, Featuring Red, Wine & Blue, The Unicorn Express, KSU College of Communications HOSTED BY: Honesty for Ohio Education ​REGISTER Sunday, April 10, 2pm Honesty Youth and Young Adult Coalition Meeting HOSTED BY: Honesty for Ohio Education REGISTER Monday & Tuesday, April 11-12, 8am State Board of Education Meetings INFO   WORKSHOPS Tuesday, March 29, 7pm WORKSHOP: Relational Organizing Intro HOSTED BY: Learn From History ​REGISTER Thursday, March 31, Noon WORKSHOP: Power Mapping 101 HOSTED BY: Ohio Voice​ ​REGISTER Thursday, March 31, 2pm WORKSHOP: Shared Meta-Narrative Project HOSTED BY: Policy Matters Ohio REGISTER April Thru May - Wednesdays, 7pm ET Honest Education Trainings & Workshops Hosted by New York University Metro Center & Race Forward REGISTER   ICYMI Thursday, March 17, 7pm The Education Exchange: Protecting LGBTQ+ Rights in the Classroom, Featuring Equality Ohio HOSTED BY: Honesty for Ohio Education ​WATCH | SLIDES   More Events NEWS Mar 21, From libraries to police training: Controversial Ohio education bill goes beyond classroom, Dispatch Mar 20, Doctors fighting racial health disparities face threats, harassment, NBC News Mar 20, Ohio Legislature eyes divisive education bills, Yellow Springs News Mar 18, Appalling legislative attempt to muzzle Ohio teachers, restrict educational content, Cleveland.com Mar 17, The far right’s national plan for schools: Plant charters, defund public education, Salon.com Mar 15, Critical race theory, ’1619 Project’ criticized as ‘divisive’ by Idaho Legislature, Idaho Statesman Mar 15, Mississippi governor signs law restricting discussions of race in schools, The Hill Mar 15, Florida’s racist and anti-LGBTQ bills are already having a chilling effect, The Real News Mar 15, Why Mississippi’s ‘critical race theory’ ban is such a mess, MSNBC  Mar 15, Anti-critical race theory bill signed into law by Mississippi governor, ABC News Mar 14, Dayton's Mayor calls H.B. 327 dangerous, how it would impact you, Dayton 24/7   More News PARTNERS Become an Honesty Partner! JOIN HERE Join Today! LEARN MORE TO DO MORE Visit the Honesty website to learn how you can help protect honest education across Ohio! Statehouse State Board of Education Local Schools Youth & Young Adult Coalition Events Resources News