Public Education Matters

"I appreciate being nominated, I appreciate being recognized, I appreciate the opportunity to earn the award, but I don’t think that I do things any different than any of the other school counselors, any of the other educators who work with students. I just want our students to succeed." - Taraja Shephard Allen, Junior Achievement of Central Ohio's 2020 Educator of the Year

• Taraja Shephard Allen, school counselor, Columbus City Schools
  • This is my ninth year as a school counselor in Columbus City Schools. I love being a school counselor because I have an opportunity to help my students become the best versions of themselves. I love working in CCS because I believe in being an integral part of my community. I am a proud CCS graduate from Linden McKinley High School. I obtained my undergraduate degrees from Ohio University and my Master’s in School Counseling from the University of Dayton. I believe in advocating for our professional rights on a local, state and national level.  Thus, I am an active dues paying member of my local union CEA. I also serve on committees for OEA/NEA. As none of us can do this work in isolation, I am supported by/support my colleagues through networking, leadership and engagement activities as a member of Ohio New Educators. Above all, I am a proud mother of three amazing, beautiful and talented children who are being educated in our public schools by hardworking teachers.
  • Taraja was named Junior Achievement of Central Ohio's 2020 Educator of the Year

"Being armed with 21st century skills, being able to communicate, work in teams, and basically navigate their lives as financially responsible adults is essential."
"These are life skills. As a school counselor, I'm an advocate for students becoming the best versions of themselves."

• 1:25 - Junior Achievement's work in Columbus City Schools
• 1:55 - Preparing students for the world of work and beyond
• 2:25 - Reaction to receiving Educator of the Year honor
• 3:25 - Transitioning to working with high schoolers during the COVID-19 pandemic
• 5:15 - Prioritizing safety while facing the emotional challenges of not having school buildings open for students
• 7:15 - Practicing self-care
• 8:15 - Being compassionate to yourself to be a better educator
• 10:00 - Creative solutions to reach students during the pandemic and gauging the impact
• 12:25 - Giving credit to the students who are thriving in the virtual learning environment and to the students who are struggling
• 14:05 - Connecting with parents through Zoom 
• 15:05 - The remote learning skills that will translate to adult working skills for students in the future
• 17:00 - Taraja's passion for school counseling and teaching "soft skills"
• 18:55 - "We won't always be in this pandemic, but I don't think we'll ever quite return to the way life used to be, and I hope that's for the better."
• 20:30 - Inspiring others

"This year has definitely been somewhat of a challenge, and it’s definitely been a period of growing for me, as well as many of the students."
“I’ve had students share that they are experiencing some depression, that they are unmotivated to go to class, they don’t quite see the point. And so the hard thing is that I would normally contact them, and meet with them at lunch and stop by their classes and check on them; and now all I can do is send them an email and a phone call and hope that they’ll join me for a Zoom session.”

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• The Ohio Education Association represents more than 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.