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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 educationmatters@ohea.org
Jay Edwards 0:00
You can't love education if you don't have respect for educators. We're talking about our future here, and so I want to be a voice. I want to be, you know, use that bully pulpit very effectively to to lobby whoever the next governor is, whoever the next lawmakers are, to make sure we're advocating for things that move the state forward. And education is a big part of that.
Various student voices 0:24
Public education matters. Public education matters. Public education matters.
Jeff Wensing 0:31
This is Public Education Matters, brought to you by the Ohio Education Association.
Katie Olmsted 0:42
Welcome back to Public Education Matters. I'm Katie Olmsted, and I'm part of the communications team for the Ohio Education Association and the 115,000 public school educators OEA represents in communities all across the state. Across the state, Ohioans are getting ready to cast their ballots. Early voting starts October 6th, and election day is November 3rd, and that means now is the time to really learn more about what's at stake and the people who will be on your ballot. OEA members can go to the show notes for this episode for a link to the full list of candidates their fellow OEA members have recommended for support based on their public education and labor issue stances, and you can go back to episodes one and two of this season, especially for more information about how OEA members screen candidates and determine which ones, Democrats and Republicans alike, will be the best people to represent Ohio's public school students and educators in office, people like Jay Edwards, the OEA member-recommended candidate for state treasurer, a Republican from Nelsonville in Athens County. He previously served two terms in the Ohio General Assembly, representing the 94th district. That's Athens, Meigs, Washington, Vinton, and Morgan counties in the Ohio House from 2017 to 2025. When he couldn't run again because he was term limited, now he's running for statewide office to collect and oversee Ohio's public funds and manage state investments. And as state treasurer, he is committed to making sure educators have a meaningful voice in their own pension systems. We sat down with Jay Edwards earlier this month to hear more about what he wants to do as state treasurer if he's elected, and how his incredible support for public education during his time in the General Assembly would carry through to his work in his new role. Take a listen.
Katie Olmsted 2:47
Jay Edwards.
Jay Edwards 2:48
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 2:48
Running for Ohio Treasurer, the OEA member recommended candidate for that office.
Jay Edwards 2:53
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 2:54
Thank you so much for coming in.
Jay Edwards 2:55
Thank you for having me. It's it's an honor to be here, and it's important topics that we're going to talk about today, but also, you know, a long career and and dealing with public education as a state lawmaker, but also my family background and all that sort of stuff that I'm sure we'll dive into today.
Katie Olmsted 3:10
Well, and I do, I certainly want to talk about what's ahead when you're elected.
Jay Edwards 3:14
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 3:14
But I think a lot of our members know your name already because of what you've been doing, what you did in the legislature.
Jay Edwards 3:20
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 3:20
I mean a true champion for public education. OEA in 2025 named you a Legislative Champion for Public Education that was very well deserved.
Jay Edwards 3:30
It was an honor of a lifetime to receive that, and you know it's it was an honor in my family. I have a lot of school teachers in my family. I always joke that you know I'm a product of public schools in Appalachia, Ohio, and and Nelsonville. I went to Nelsonville York High School in Athens County, and you know I always joke that growing up I loved sports. Thanksgiving was my favorite time of year. Got to eat food, eat great food, be with my family, and watch football all day. And sure enough, you know the moment I became a state lawmaker, now I've got like eight teachers in my family that were in my face all the time, so telling me everything that was wrong with public education in the state of Ohio.
Katie Olmsted 4:06
Kind of ruined Thanksgiving.
Jay Edwards 4:08
No, it didn't ruin Thanksgiving, but it definitely changed Thanksgiving. So, but you know they were right on a lot of things, and it really helped shape and mold me on how I view public education. Obviously, when you're a student, you don't think about these things, but when you become a lawmaker and you can affect these changes, so always had a passion. You know, I grew up in a you know a very kind of conservative small town where you know teacher I didn't the teachers I had growing up we didn't talk politics. No one knew the politics of a teacher that I had, but they were there to teach and they really changed my life. I can go back to first grade, and tell you every school teacher I had by name. I'm still in contact with them, and so you know it really molded me that that public education that I was able to receive at Nelsonville York, and then you know it helped shape and mold me as I came here, and obviously having family in the business, being being school teachers, it it really played a role in in how I viewed things when I got to the legislature.
Katie Olmsted 5:05
And where you grew up, I think, also shaped a lot of the way you approached things like school meals.
Jay Edwards 5:10
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 5:11
You when you were in the legislature were a true champion.
Jay Edwards 5:13
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 5:14
Trying to expand access in large part from my observation, watching you stand up for this because of what you saw in your own community.
Jay Edwards 5:22
100% and you know we saw health, social determinants, health drop off during the summertime, and most people you know would scratch their head at that. It was because the kid's not getting a meal over the summertime, so we really tried to try to champion breakfast and lunch at school. You know you can you can talk about history and math and science all you want. If a kid's sitting there hungry in a classroom, all of a sudden math and science is not that important. So really tried to champion that and and try to you know we were able to get reduced lunch down to free lunch within my last budget that I happen to be the finance chair of, and you know hopefully more work is is can be done on that because it's something that you know, if we can afford a lot of things in this state, I think giving a kid a meal at school, breakfast and lunch, I think is is very very important. Also, you know, work very closely with the Children's Hunger Alliance, which plays a deep role in Appalachia with with the free breakfast programs that they do, and the Ohio Food Bank Association, which which plays a big role in in our schools, so I think it's it's something that I'm very passionate about. We're the home of Joe Burrow, you know. And I don't know if you remember right. I always correlate sports into this. If you remember his Heisman speech, he got up there at 22 years old, winning the Heisman, winning national championship, getting ready to be the first round pick, and he chose to take that moment to talk about hunger in Southeast Ohio, and and we'll never forget that. And created the Burrow Foundation, which tries to feed people in in Ohio and across the country. That that's that's a part of where we're from. So people people down home in Southeast Ohio and really all over the state are passionate about that issue and realize the problems that we have. Not not all of us come from the same household, and teachers experience that every day. You know, we always tried to keep that in mind when when we got here in the legislature and tried to affect public policy.
Katie Olmsted 7:08
Well, and it's not just specific communities where that's in.
Jay Edwards 7:10
100%.
Katie Olmsted 7:11
I mean, even even what people would call the affluent community.
Jay Edwards 7:15
100%.
Katie Olmsted 7:16
There's hunger there.
Jay Edwards 7:16
Absolutely, and really, it's all over. I always kind of drew this comparison between where the problem exists the most in the schools, and it's not just it's not just rural Ohio. It's urban areas. There's a large correlation between urban areas dealing with the same struggles that we have in Southeast Ohio. But you're right. Even in affluent areas, you're going to have people that that deal with this, and might be a much smaller percentage. But you still want to make sure that no child, no child is is going hungry, and no child is is dealing with home struggles when they're trying to deal with their education. And it's really where a teacher steps up and and takes that role. And I was very fortunate to have some of those great teachers in my school growing up.
Katie Olmsted 7:53
And you want to make sure that every child gets a world class education where they live.
Jay Edwards 7:58
100%.
Katie Olmsted 7:58
And again, work you did in the legislature made very big strides towards making that possible.
Jay Edwards 8:04
Yes, and so you know, one of the things that you don't get enough credit for in the legislature is you know you do things behind the scenes.
Katie Olmsted 8:11
Right.
Jay Edwards 8:12
And so I happened to be there when when a guy named Bob Cupp and a guy named John Patterson decided to put this. I was at the very first meeting when they decided to work on this school funding issue, it was a voluntary thing for legislators to come to a meeting. I happened to show up, and I realized this was going to get legs and going to take off. So what I did early on was I got a lot of administrators, a lot of teachers, a lot of people in Southeast Ohio involved in that, and got them on the board of the Fair School Funding Plan when they went out and traveled the state to put that plan together. Never in my wildest dreams that I think I would become the finance chair to get to see that plan through, and so you know in 2023 and 2024 when I was the chair of the finance committee and in that budget cycle at the end of June and in 2024. 2023 I'm sorry we were able to implement years three and four of the fair school funding plan, changed the cost inputs, which was a big deal, and and see that through. I obviously termed out at the end of 2024, and things have gone a little awry since then. But I think it was a really good step forward to some of the issues we face with school funding in this state for for 25 years, quite frankly. And it was it was kind of a path forward. I hope the legislature comes to their senses and gets back to a fair school funding plan because I think it's it was it was really a path forward of a lot of band aids for for 25 years.
Katie Olmsted 9:32
And that actually brings us to now as the future Ohio Treasurer.
Jay Edwards 9:37
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 9:38
You're not going to be in the legislature. You can't make them pass the responsible budget that updates the cost components and puts that back to the promise it was supposed to be.
Jay Edwards 9:46
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 9:47
But you can affect a lot of good things for our students and for our educators and our community.
Jay Edwards 9:53
Absolutely.
Katie Olmsted 9:54
So step one: What does the treasurer do?
Jay Edwards 9:57
Yes. So it you know I'm traveling all over the state having to explain this to people. Most people, you you say you're running for state treasurer, and they'll say we have one of those. I didn't know we had one of those. So we're we're educating people. You know, the state treasurer really handles the investments for the state of Ohio. When people pay their taxes, it comes to state treasurer's office before the legislature determines how to spend that money. Hopefully, there's a little bit more money there because we're investing those funds and trying to get a return on that investment, and you know, in this conversation, it actually plays a pretty big role. It actually plays a big role in a lot of areas, but in when it comes to educators, it plays a big role because we play a custodial role to the state teacher retirement system, and we also have a board appointment. And it just so happens that these board appointments don't overlap with the politics, don't overlap with with when elections are for for political offices. But in this particular one, the board appointment for STRS comes February. So, if elected in November, within one and sworn in in January, within one month of being in office, we will get a board appointment to that to that position, and that's something that I will take very seriously, and I'll make sure that that we have a team of people that support public education and know a little bit about investments and investment strategy, so that we can put the right person in there to to not just try to maximize returns and making sure we're taking care of retired teachers, but also to make sure we have full transparency. I think that's something that's lacking as I'm talking to retirees all over the state. You know, they're they're perfectly fine. Obviously, they went five years without a cost of living adjustment. They're they're fine with that, but they would like for someone to explain that to them of why that's going. You know, that happened to be between 2017 and 2022 when inflation was going through the roof. Medication is going through the roof. You know, it's fine if it is there to truly protect the future of those funds and of the retirement system. What's not fine is not explaining it to the retirees. And so, when I have that board appointment, I'm going to take it very seriously. I'm going to collaborate with a lot of people in the industry to make sure we're getting the right person, and really want to hold that person accountable as far as transparency in the office, so that we're talking to retirees, and you know that affects the entire scope of public education because there might be people that don't go into this industry because they see that cost of living adjusted. They're they're wondering what retirement is going to be there for me at the end of the day. I think there is this misconception that you know that that teachers get Social Security. That's not true. They get state teacher retirement system. They don't pay into Social Security. They don't get that. This is their one retirement pool. There's also this misconception that the state funds these retirement plans, and it's just not true. The schools themselves, the employer funds 14% of the retirement system, and 14% comes from the teachers themselves. It just so happens that that the that the 14% that comes from the schools happens to be on the lower tier across the country, and the 14% that comes from the teachers tends to be on the higher tier of the country. So the teachers are putting a lot of their paycheck into their retirement system. It should be there for them, and it's a promise that that was made. It's their money. It's not the state's money. It is their money, and they should have some say on on how that fund is is is treated, and they should have some say on making sure that it is very transparent, and they're being told the full story when when changes are being made inside with the board that that they currently elect, and you know I'm sure we're going to get into that board itself and what changes. Yes.
Katie Olmsted 13:19
Given given the situation again, you're not in the legislature. You can't change the law.
Jay Edwards 13:24
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 13:24
But in the last state budget, they changed the makeup of the board.
Jay Edwards 13:28
They did.
Katie Olmsted 13:28
They they made it many more appointees, many fewer elected members, and there's legislation that that could fix that right now.
Jay Edwards 13:36
There is legislation. I think Jim Hoops from Northwest Ohio sponsoring that, a strong supporter of that bill and and kind of what happened there was some consternation of some people that potentially wanted to change some things at STRS and it ended up being you know kind of a scandal or scandalous type of thing and it was making news and so you know the legislature at 1o'clock in the morning which happens a lot unfortunately during the budget cycle where they have to pass a budget. Decided to change the board makeup and and really tried to take control of that board current currently and how it currently operates. The the retirees it's an election and they get this they get to have some say in selecting who they want representing them on that board, which sounds fair. It's their money, it's the retirees' money and teachers' money. At the last minute, the legislature chose to swoop in and take control of the board and make themselves give themselves give themselves support appointment authority between the speaker of the house, the senate president, and the governor. I strongly disagree with that. I think it's horrible. It's not their money. They should not have say on that money. I would have opposed that if I was a state lawmaker at the time, and I would strongly support Jim Hoops's bill, and and will do that publicly as that bill hopefully as they come back from recess and hopefully start having some hearings on that. Teachers just have some say in who's controlling their money, not the people downtown Columbus.
Katie Olmsted 14:55
And teachers have the potential to have a big say in who is sitting in the treasurer's office.
Jay Edwards 15:00
Yes. Yes.
Katie Olmsted 15:01
About one in every 100 Ohioan.
Jay Edwards 15:04
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 15:05
Is an OEA member.
Jay Edwards 15:06
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 15:06
So we have a lot of of ability when we stand together to make things happen.
Jay Edwards 15:12
100%.
Katie Olmsted 15:13
What should OEA members expect from you as our next state treasurer? S
Jay Edwards 15:17
So I've already touched on it a little bit. We're going to take this very seriously. It's something I'm passionate about. It's something I have to be. My family. Keep in mind, my family.
Katie Olmsted 15:24
Thanksgiving's coming up.
Jay Edwards 15:25
Yeah, Thanksgiving's coming up. So it's something that that we're passionate about. We want to we want to make sure we have full transparency with retirees. We want to make sure that we're making you know great financial fiduciary responsibility to the retirees. I think we are back to like a 1.6% cost of living adjustment now, so it's gone up since since that gap of not getting one from 2017 to 2022, and in that gap, you know, I've talked to I talk every event I go to. Speaking every one in a 100, every event I go to, and it crosses party lines. It's if I'm at a Republican event or I'm at a community event, I run into retired teachers, and they tell me how important this is. They know about the treasurer's office, they know about the role we play, and how important it is to to make sure that they have full transparency. Again, I hear this over and over again: is we are fine if things need to be done, if that cost of living adjustment needs to be done. We would just like an explanation. So.
Katie Olmsted 16:19
Needs to make sense.
Jay Edwards 16:20
Needs to make sense, and and it needs to be explained in a way that that that makes sense to us, and so we're we're we're going to take that very seriously. We're going to make sure that our board appointment takes a vow. I would also love to to have a retired teacher and a current teacher as part of that appointment authority with me to to make sure we have a screening process for who we're going to select as that board member, and I want them to make a vow that them individually, but also push the board to do this. We'll send out communications with active retirees. I'm sure there are lists that exist, and there are things that they already have at their at their disposal that we want to make sure that retirees are getting financial updates of of where those funds are and where their money, how their money is being invested, and and the returns that we're having. I've viewed the numbers. Returns have been pretty good, so they're not they're not bad returns. But you know we do have an aging population. We do have you know an issue there where returns aren't matching as much as as the fund is spending each year, and so maybe changes need to be made. But but again, it's more about the transparency piece that I really really want to hit on, and want to make sure we're being respectful to the people, the promises that we've made people along the way. We have a lot of teachers in this state.
Katie Olmsted 17:31
Beyond just the STRS. The transparency across the board.
Jay Edwards 17:35
100%.
Katie Olmsted 17:36
Making sure that Ohioans know what's going on with their money.
Jay Edwards 17:39
100%.
Katie Olmsted 17:40
You've been going. I've been following you on Facebook, and I'll tell you, I've never met a county fair. I don't like.
Jay Edwards 17:45
Yes, yes, yes. It's not good for your diet.
Katie Olmsted 17:47
Oh no, but good for yourself.
Jay Edwards 17:49
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 17:49
Good for yourself.
Jay Edwards 17:50
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 17:50
And then you get to talk to people, and you get to hear from them about what is going on in their lives, what they need, how we need support for our schools, what our schools need.
Jay Edwards 18:00
100%.
Katie Olmsted 18:00
What are you hearing, and what are you able to do in your role?
Jay Edwards 18:05
So you know the other thing that I've been talking about as treasurer is you are a statewide office holder. So you know we've we've touched on where this touches the teachers' lives, you know physically on on the retirement system. Very directly.
Katie Olmsted 18:16
And that's recruitment as well as you mentioned.
Jay Edwards 18:18
100%. And so the other thing is, you know, I view the role as a state office holder, not necessarily the state treasurer, is just to be a voice. You know, is there things you can do? Yes, we don't make the laws, but we can be an advocate, and we have a platform to stand on, you know, that that that bully pulpit and talk about these real things that affect people, and show up to places, and you have a relationship with the legislature, a lot more relationship with the legislature than your everyday school teacher. They're teaching from while while committee hearings are going on in Columbus, they're in a classroom somewhere. So what can we do to be that voice as a statewide office holder, to be a big voice for them, to talk to you know I hate to use the word lobby, but to lobby the legislature on their issues, to introduce them, make phone calls happen, and all that sort of things as good as we hear good ideas, and we plan to use that bully pulpit. and And you know, this is something I'm passionate about. It's something that I think moves the state forward. We're we're looking at you know wanting more jobs and more economic activity. You can't love education if you don't have respect for educators, and so you know this is something that I think we're talking about our future here, and so I want to be a voice. I want to be, you know, use that bully pulpit very effectively to to lobby whoever the next governor is, whoever the next lawmakers are, to make sure we're advocating for things that move the state forward. And education is a big part of that.
Katie Olmsted 19:35
And we are so grateful for the opportunity to hear from you about that, and for what you will do in the years ahead.
Jay Edwards 19:42
Absolutely
Katie Olmsted 19:43
Serving as the voice for educators and and public schools and public school students for Ohio.
Jay Edwards 19:48
Absolutely. And if you're an educator out there listening to this, I'm very easy to find on social media. It is actually me. I don't have a team of people running it. Reach out to me if you have ideas of things, especially on. Retirement side, reach out to me. Let me know if you want to meet me sometime. I'm traveling around all over the state. Feel free to reach out. And if elected in November, and I'm hoping I will be if elected with the help of of the OEA, you know, hold me accountable. You know, reach out. Let me know what let me know what changes we can make. We don't know what to work on. I can tell you this from being a state representative, we don't know what to work on unless we hear from people. So you know, I'm a click away on Facebook. I'll give you my cell phone number. You can hit me. I'll give you my email, whatever. But Facebook and social media has been so effective as far as reaching people. I get messages all the time. Some my favorite ones are when you know within I see it within 30 seconds and I call the number they've given me, and they're like, "Is this the team of Jay Edwards?" I'm like, "No, it's really me". You know, they they the expectations have been lowered. I think in the political life, unfortunately, the bar is set very low. So you know, I love interacting with people. I love talking to people. The best ideas come from hearing the issues on the ground of the people that work in in the industry. I don't pretend to be an expert on everything. Reach out to me if you're out there listening to this, and let me know your thoughts and what we can do to try to be helpful. And you know we're traveling all over the state every day, so maybe we could even meet some of these folks sometime. So.
Katie Olmsted 20:34
Well, I appreciate the opportunity to meet you. And I, you know, this is what you did when you were a legislator too.
Jay Edwards 20:48
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 20:48
You heard people's voices. You heard from Ohio's educators.
Jay Edwards 21:22
Yes.
Katie Olmsted 21:23
And you were that voice in the room for them, and fought so hard on so many of these issues. Thank you for that.
Jay Edwards 21:29
Yes, thank you very much, and you guys, you know, do great work, and I appreciate you having me on. And we'll be in touch real soon, hopefully after November, when when we win this thing. We're going to be talking to you guys very much, especially on that very important board appointment that will take place one month into the office. It's 100 billion dollars at stake that we want to take very seriously. And the realization that it's not the state's money; it is your retired teachers' money that have put in 30, 40 years into the into the classroom. We want to protect that with everything we have. So, thank you.
Katie Olmsted 21:58
Thank you.
Katie Olmsted 22:02
Jay Edwards is one of several OEA member recommended candidates we're hearing from on this season of the podcast, and one of many, many candidates OEA members have screened and recommended for support based on their stances on education and labor issues, and nothing else. OEA members can find a link to see the full list of recommended candidates in the show notes for this episode. And while you're there, make sure you subscribe to Public Education Matters wherever you get your podcasts, so you don't miss a thing in the future. New episodes drop every Thursday this season as we continue to dive into the big education issues with the people who are shaping our public education landscape every day, because in Ohio, public education matters.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai