Ohio superintendents and university presidents: This one is for you

From RH Jones, July 5, 2007
An open letter asking for help from superintendents and university presidents

There is a critical need now, more than ever, for additional help from Ohio’s active/retired “super” superintendents and active/retired public university presidents. Some of the present “super” educator leaders, as in Dr. Dennis Leone and Mr. John Lazares, have worked extremely hard in their capacity as Ohio STRS board members. They desperately need your expert backing and, better yet, your active leadership service. There have been some, who will not be named here, that have given us wonderful direction and advice. However, in this critical campaign, the front line combatants need additional leadership direction that only the multitude of officers (supers & Univ. Presidents), huddled in your bunkers, can give. All across the main line of resistance, you need to come out and lead this fight. You, sirs and madams, are the educators who have shown the most leadership skills in your careers; and, therefore, have the responsibility to continue to lead us; you have shown the effectiveness and drive to manage school districts and colleges. While public educator compensation has never been comparable to the business establishment with similar job obligations, you now earn, or have earned, and rightfully so, larger salaries than teachers; so, therefore, you have the most to lose from this unprecedented, destructive, neo-conservative, anti-public education campaign in the history of America. This is happening now. The Beacon, just today, ran an article on page C6 & 7 that states: …”The administration sees no difference between lost pants and Enron.” [View article here]

We who are in the forward outposts of the front lines have taken a beating from the big-name corporation leaders, the ultra-rich zealots and politicians who flaunt constitutional law. They have hidden behind religion and now our flag in their anti-public education attacks. By using OH HB 151, HB 152 and SB 161 and similar outlandish actions in both Ohio and Washington, they are attempting to destroy our public education system Pre-K-16.

In dealing with such people on your job, you are the best equipped among us to be victorious over those who would put us back into another Great Depression. We are on that way now. Under your direction, and experience -- your boards have been dominated by conservatives -- we can overcome the powerful group that confronts us; we can avoid a disaster for our state and nation. As your names are best known to the voting public, your influence is most suitable to project to the media the value of the public education system to achieve the lofty goals of our beloved American civilization.

During our professional careers, we teachers followed your thrust. For the sake of your families, the children and your professional staff, and all Americans, we need you to at the forefront.
Robert Hudson Jones
Retired Ohio STRS member, proud Concerned Ohio Retired Educator (CORE) and ORTA member