RH Jones: Yet more heroes are educators in Ohio

From RH Jones, January 14, 2007

Subject: Yet more heroes are educators in Ohio

To all:

While Ohio's uniformed services of the police/fire, and the highway patrol, enjoy better retirement than educators, active/retired educators continue to have a dangerous and risky profession as well. The Beacon today, 01/ 14,07, Page B12, reported that educators in Mansfield grabbed the arm of a 16-yr. old boy with a knife and had to wrestle him to the floor. They then had to hold him until armed policemen arrived. The boy, at knife point, had held a girl in a headlock and choked her. The Principal and hero, Jim Klenk, had offered himself as hostage. His Assistant Principal suffered cuts from the knife welding student. Attempted aggravated murder, kidnapping, 4-counts of felonious assault, and possession of a deadly weapon in a school zone, are the students charges -- for this e-mail, I have shortened their story. [See story here]

Now my story: When I was a student back in my grade school in 1943, in front of the whole classroom, a male student "sucker punched" his female teacher. Also, later on while attending high school, I saw a male student violently punch and fight with a male teacher in a packed hallway! It took brave educators to quell the violence of students back than, and it still does now. Educators instruct and protect students from those who would harm them. I might ask: How long do educators in the school districts of Ohio have to suffer the denial of a proper guaranteed HC/Rx in their STRS? The public has a moral obligation to allow their professional educators the 5% increase in their employer/employee retirement contribution. Making Ohio's STRS strong, makes Ohio strong.

Robert Hudson Jones, retired STRS teacher and lifer in all unions. But, especially proud to be a CORE lifer.