Forming OEA's Newest Local - The Findlay Paraprofessional Association

The Ohio Education Association's ranks are now about a hundred members stronger with the formation of the Findlay Paraprofessional Association. We sat down with two of the founding members to hear about their journey from powerlessness to bargaining their first contract.

Show Notes

Featured Education Matters guests: 

• Sophie Crawford, FPPA Organizing Committee Member
  • Sophie Crawford has worked as an RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) for Findlay City Schools since 2017. 
  • She was a teacher for 23 years in France for the French national Education, including 4 years as a principal. She moved to the USA in 2006 and started to work with autistic children in 2009.

•  Anne Smith, FPPA Organizing Committee Member
  • Anne Smith is in her 28th year of interpreting for Findlay City Schools. She works with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students facilitating communication between spoken word and ASL in the classroom setting. 
  • She graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree. She also holds 
    an Interpreters license from the Ohio Department of Education.

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About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents about 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children.

This episode was recorded in October, 2021.

What is Public Education Matters?

Ohio's public schools serve 1.6 million children - 90 percent of students in the state! What happens in the classroom has impacts far beyond the walls of the K-12 school building or higher ed lecture hall. So, on behalf of the 115,000 members of the Ohio Education Association, we're taking a deeper dive into some of the many education issues facing our students, educators, and communities. Originally launched in 2021 as Education Matters, Public Education Matters is your source for insightful conversations with the people who shape the education landscape in Ohio. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on Public Education Matters? Email us at [e-mail]