Public Education Matters

• Karen Wright, Ohio Education Association 2021 Education Support Professional of the Year 
  • Karen Wright has served as the Wellington High School Principal's Secretary in Wellington Exempted Village Schools in Lorain County for 30 years, spending the last 20 years as President of the Wellington Support Staff Association. She grew up in a union family, joining her first union (Local 880, Retail Clerks) at age 18. Karen and her husband, Ralph, a retired school custodian, have one son, Mark, and three daughters, Robin, Missy, and Dawn. They have 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Karen will be retiring from her job at Wellington High School at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. She says the Wellington Support Staff local has a fantastic vice president and secretary/treasurer so she knows things will be in good hands. 

"So many times whenever I first started in the Association, it was "you're just a..." -- 'just a secretary,' 'just a bus driver' -- but I don't get that anymore. I feel like we are at the same table with teachers and higher ed and everybody. We are accepted. And so to me, being recognized as an ESP is just a tremendous honor."

• 1:45 - OEA ESP of the Year Award: "It's a great honor. It validates me and all ESPs in the jobs that we do supporting education and our students."
• 2:50 - 20 years as Wellington Support Staff Association President and keeping the contract strong
• 5:00 - Better serving students through strong collective bargaining 
• 6:30 - Working with different administrators
• 8:10 - Advocating for students: "I think of my students as my kids"
• 9:30 - Maintaining long-term connections with students and their families
• 10:45 - Working alongside former students
• 12:40 - Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year: "I think we will grow from this experience once we can look back on it as something we survived."
• 15:40 - "We live here, we work here, and we vote here. We are Wellington."
• 16:45 - Recognizing the unsung heroes that are ESPs across the state

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• 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.