The 2024 OTOY's journey from the newsroom to the classroom. Plus, OEA member deals on grad credit hours.
Ohio's public school educators are called to the profession by an unwavering commitment to student success. But not every person in Ohio's public school classrooms now may have felt that calling at the beginning of their career arc. On this episode of Public Education Matters, we hear from 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year Mark Lowrie about his journey from being a sports producer to building one of the best high school broadcast journalism programs in the country. We also learn more about OEA's partnership with VESi and Ursuline College to offer OEA members nine graduate credit hours for professional development for just $200.
WATCH LINCOLN LIVE | To check out some of the award winning work Ohio Teacher of the Year Mark Lowrie's broadcast journalism students are doing at Gahanna-Jefferson High School, click here.
LEARN MORE | Click here for more information about OEA's partnership with VESi to offer a yearlong subscription to online graduate courses.
SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Public Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.
WATCH LINCOLN LIVE | To check out some of the award winning work Ohio Teacher of the Year Mark Lowrie's broadcast journalism students are doing at Gahanna-Jefferson High School, click here.
LEARN MORE | Click here for more information about OEA's partnership with VESi to offer a yearlong subscription to online graduate courses.
SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Public Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to subscribe on Google podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.
Featured Public Education Matters guests:
- Mark Lowrie, 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year
- Mark Lowrie teaches broadcast journalism at Gahanna Lincoln High School. A graduate of Ohio University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communication, Lowrie worked 12 years in broadcast TV before earning his master’s degree in education at the University of Akron and his integrated language arts 7-12 license. Since then, Lowrie has twice built Ohio’s most honored school broadcasting program. In four years at Gahanna Lincoln, Lowrie designed four new courses and increased TV class enrollment from 27 to 130. His students produce Lincoln Live, a live newscast streamed throughout the school and on multiple social media platforms to provide the district a public relations channel. Previously, Lowrie spent 18 years at Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst producing their live, daily newscast, Steele News Live.
- The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) has honored Lowrie’s students with seven National Student Production Awards (SPA) and 79 Regional SPAs. Also known as the Student Emmys, Lowrie’s students led the nation with three National SPAs in 2022, including Best Newscast and the National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Award, which honors the top four broadcast programs nationally.
- Lowrie has served as varsity football assistant coach, assistant athletic director, National Honor Society Advisor and union-negotiating team member. Lowrie received the 2022 Ohio University Scripps College of Communication Fellowship. He earned a Master of Arts in school leadership from Concordia University (Chicago) and his Professional Principal License (5-12).
- Nicholas Gurich
- Nick Gurich is OEA's Director of Education Policy, Research, and Member Advocacy. In coordination with OEA's three Education Policy and Practice Consultants, Nick oversees professional learning opportunities for OEA members, including the VESi program.
Connect with OEA:
- Email educationmatters@ohea.org with your feedback or ideas for future Public Education Matters topics
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- Get the latest news and statements from OEA here
- Learn more about where OEA stands on the issues
- Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative Watch
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.
- Public 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 an Emmy Award winning 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 on October 26 and November 21, 2023.
