Public Education Matters

Various student voices 0:08
Public education matters. Public education matters. Public education matters.

Scott DiMauro 0:15
This is Public Education Matters brought to you by the Ohio Education Association.

Katie Olmsted 0:26
Thanks for joining us for Public Education Matters. The final episode of public education matters in the 2024 election season. I'm Katie Olmsted, and I'm part of the communications team for the Ohio Education Association and its nearly 120,000 members who work in public schools across the state. Members that include Representative Sean Patrick Brennan, who taught in Parma City Schools right up until he started his first term in the Ohio Statehouse after winning election to represent District 14 in 2022. Since then, he has continued to be a true pro-public education, pro-labor leader who understands the needs of our students, educators and communities, and who works across party lines to make our state and schools better, whether that's meant helping to secure fair funding for Ohio's public schools in the last state budget, working to pass legislation to have schools create cell phone policies to cut down on distractions and improve learning conditions, or any of the other bills he has supported or plans to continue to champion, as he continues his work at the statehouse after Election Day this fall.Representative Brennan stopped by to talk about his achievements, his priorities, and why educator voices are crucial in this 2024 election. Take a listen to what he had to say.

Representative Brennan, thank you so much for joining us for this podcast to share your thoughts and your experiences from your first term. I want to start with the big picture question on this one.

Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan 2:14
Sure.

Katie Olmsted 2:10
Why is it so important to have educators seek and serve in public office?

Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan 2:16
Well Katie, first of all, I just want to say thank you so much for having me. It is really an honor as an OEA member to be a part of this podcast today. I will also want to thank Scott DiMauro, our president, and Jeff Wensing, our vice president and former president of the Parma Education Association. I represent Parma, Parma Heights and about a third of West Park on the west side of Cleveland. And you know, it's funny that you asked that question, because I was just speaking to the Parma teachers last night, many of the building representatives, and my message to teachers is, is, know your power. Sometimes when you're a teacher, you kind of feel like you're typecast, like you're like, like, all you know is teaching and like, that's all you can do. We don't always remember that we really are the leaders of our community. We're leaders in many, many ways. And, and I want that to be the message to anybody listening today that is a teacher, is that, you know, never underestimate the power and influence you have in your community. We really do need more teachers serving in our city halls and in the legislature and even in Congress and don't don't think you can't do that. I could tick off 50 different skills we have as teachers that are transferable from the classroom into positions of leadership. You know, we care about people. We have empathy for other people. That, to me, is the number one quality of being an elected official. We are organized, we're hard working. We meet people where they are. I could just go on and on and on. And what I love about about my public service is the ability for me to bring that voice of educators to the halls of the statehouse every day. I was frustrated for many years, and no offense to my colleagues, but you know, when you've got folks that are making policy that impacts teachers and students in classrooms that have never taught, you're just not going to come up with the best policies to positively impact student achievement and student well being. And so that's what I try to bring to the table every day.

Katie Olmsted 2:16
So let's talk about those policies. You were first elected in 2022. In your first term in the Ohio House, what are some of the things you have been able to accomplish for Ohio's public schools?

Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan 2:47
Right? Yeah. So, so one, one of the things that I'm very proud of, probably more than anything, is the fact that in last year's budget, we were able to fund the Fair School Funding Plan at a higher amount than ever in our state's history. So more money was put into public education than ever in our state's history. And you know, when I pressed that green button to vote yes on that bill, it literally moved me. I literally teared up, because, you know, when you vote on a bill that where you're, you know, spending that much taxpayer treasure, and you know it's going to go to benefit the children of Ohio, that's why I came to Columbus. You know, before I left the classroom, one of my students in class said, Mr. Brennan, you're leaving because you don't like us anymore. And I said, No. I said, I'm leaving because I love you, and not just you, the 150 students I have in class right now, but I really love and care about all students in Ohio, and by being a state legislator, I can have an impact on 1000s and 1000s of young people, not just 150 every semester. And so by voting on that budget, that was just one of the biggest honors of my life. You know, another thing I think I bring to the table is, is, it's just that perspective. You know, a lot of my colleagues get these great ideas that are well intended in most cases, but, but it's adding more to our teachers plates and and I know I'm speaking on behalf of probably every teacher out there right now that you know the demands on us as teachers today are are incredible. And and so that's what I am constantly reminding my colleagues of at the Statehouse, is, you know, if you're asking teachers to do more, what are we taking off the plate? We can't just keep adding and adding and adding. It's like every time we get a new challenge in Ohio, well, let's just have the teachers fix it. And, you know, there's only so much one person can do and and so that's what I try to remind my colleagues of in a very professional manner, that, you know, I'll vote for it, but what are we going to take off the table, you know, so that we're not adding more to that plate that's already really full?

Katie Olmsted 7:22
I do want to point out, talking to your colleagues, it's not just talking to the colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle,

Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan 7:28
Right.

Katie Olmsted 7:28
The Cleveland.com/Plain Dealer endorsement piece on you, I think was very good, because it really notes that you don't get stuck into that partisanship. That you are truly working for the betterment of all Ohioans. It doesn't matter what label they have next to their name when they register to vote. How can we take that moving forward?

Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan 7:49
Right.

Katie Olmsted 7:50
It feels divided and hard right now, but you're a person who's been there, who can do that.

Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan 7:55
Well, this is another reason why I think more teachers need to get involved in public service, and because, you know, for all of those years in the classroom, teaching American Government, teaching American Law, teaching American History, I tried to model civility to my students. I would talk about the importance of compromise and working with the other side of the aisle and how that's how our country was founded. Our country, our constitution was, was was founded on a bundle of compromises. And our country, unfortunately, is is more divided now than I think it's been in my lifetime - not in our nation's history. It's been worse, and I am hopeful that in the future it will get better - and I'm trying to do my part to to do that. So I always say, I still, I try to, just like in the classroom, be a good role model back then for my students, and by the way, that was only 22 months ago when I was in the classroom. But I try to be a good role model for my for my colleagues, for my constituents, and even for the media, you know, really, for anyone that's watching, as a teacher, you know, you have to be on your best behavior every moment, for everybody that's watching and so. So in my 22 months here in the legislature, I have really made it a priority to build relationships with my colleagues, just like a teacher builds relationships with their students. If your students know that you truly care about them and you truly love them, every teacher listening knows that that student will respond in a positive way and will go out of their way to show their appreciation to you as the teacher by by working harder and trying to reach their potential. And so in the legislature, I've spent a lot of time meeting my colleagues where they are, getting to know them as people, having conversations with them, and finding what we have in common with one another. And so, you know, for instance, in just 22 months, I've already passed two bills, and both of them were bipartisan. I've got five bills that have passed the House and are over in the Senate, every one of those is a bipartisan bill. You know, because it's it's it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that, you know, when you work in a bipartisan manner, those are the bills, those are the laws that are going to positively impact all Ohioans, not just a certain segment of Ohioans, but really benefit everybody. And that, I'll tell you, I'm really honored by what I've been able to accomplish by working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in just a short time I've been here. And it's not easy to pass a law around here, we've, I think only 55 bills have become law in the almost two years that I've been here, and two of them are bills that I worked on with colleagues. So so it's it's working.

Katie Olmsted 10:42
And you mentioned it's not just for a certain sect of people, but I should mention that the OEA Fund screening and endorsement committees do make their determinations about who to recommend entirely based on a candidate's positions about public education and pro labor candidates. And you're both. What are some of your honor what are some of your priorities moving forward in the next General Assembly, and what are some of the things you're going to try to get across the finish line when you're sent back to the Statehouse, where we all say you belong?

Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan 11:13
Sure, yeah. You know, one of the frustrations about Columbus is, is that we do a biennial budget. So we do a budget for two years. And so what that means is, although we put more money into public education in last year's budget, that's not necessarily true going forward in future budgets. So I will be working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle again so that we can fully fund the Fair School Funding Plan in the next biennial budget as well. That is the number one priority, and we've got to provide proper funding to our public schools so that we educators can provide those wraparound services to our students who have multiple and diverse needs. Another one that's really always been near and dear to my heart, and it's probably because I was a poor college student, is one of the things that always irked me, and I think probably every teacher in Ohio, is the fact that we were not paid as student teachers. So you had to pay your college tuition, which wasn't cheap, and you had to work for free. And although I loved what I did, and we all did it, I think if we - we all know that there's a teacher shortage in Ohio, for the first time I can remember, and so I, I've got a bill that I introduced that would allow school districts to pay student teachers. And I think that would go a long way in attracting more young people into the profession because it is a financial barrier, I think, student teaching because, you know, college tuitions are so high now, much higher than when I was in college, that, you know, I might want to be a teacher, but I don't know if I can afford to do it, because, you know, I've got to pay my tuition and I probably gonna have to work a side job to help pay that off. And so student teaching can be a non starter for many folks. And again, I'm going to continue to educate my colleagues on how we need to very be very cognizant of passing on partially or unfunded mandates to our schools. Again, there are a lot of really well intended ideas, but if we're going to require the schools to do them, we've got to provide the funds to do it. So that's something that I'm very vocal about. Because, again, I know, you know, I've always called it the man behind the curtain syndrome, kind of like the Wizard of Oz, right? So a lot of times, your voters back home, when the schools have to go back for more funding, they get the impression the schools are not being good stewards of the taxpayer dollars, when, in reality, a lot of what's going on is Columbus and Washington are passing these partially or unfunded mandates that the public often is not aware of, where you have to implement these policies, but Columbus and Washington are not giving the local school districts the money to implement them, which is just really not fair. I think give it the, I always say, give it the reasonable person test, right? You can't keep saying, do more, do more, do more, but we're not going to get you, give you the funding to do that.

Katie Olmsted 13:59
Well. And really, that's what the Fair School Funding Plan is all about, is making sure that the state is paying its fair share of what it actually costs to educate a student, and ending this over reliance on local property taxes and actually taking into account the real costs of meeting all students needs, not just their academic needs, but they're all of the needs that are addressed in our public schools, needs that you know very well as an educator, and needs that educators across Ohio know well -things they should be keeping in mind when they go to the ballot box. Why are educator voices crucial in this 2024 election?

Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan 15:06
They're crucial. You know, my message to those listening to the podcast is, you've got to vote, and you've got to vote for pro-public education candidates. So you know, read your OEA magazine, and, you know, I can tell you as a candidate, both in 2022 and 2024, there is a very thorough vetting process. You know, the OEA is not just picking and choosing candidates at random. I mean, they really put you through, again, a very thorough vetting process to ensure that you are the best candidate for public education, the best candidate for teachers, the best candidate for the students that we serve every single day. So and to your point. I mean, some of those folks are Democrats, like myself; others are Republicans. So that's my biggest piece of advice is, is vote pro-public education. Your voice really matters, and educate your friends and family members on who those candidates are, because although we members of OEA get our list of endorsed candidates, your neighbors aren't getting those. So we can be educators in the classroom, but we can also be educators outside of the classroom. Again, we are the leaders of the community. We are the experts when it comes to what's best for kids. So so don't hesitate to go out into the community and educate folks on, you know, who are the best candidates for the community, and educate them on, you know, on the challenges in the classroom. You don't have to be an elected official to do these things, right?

Katie Olmsted 16:58
Well, Representative Sean Patrick Brennan, thank you for educating us about why you are the best candidate to represent Ohio's District 14.

Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan 17:07
Thank you very much. Katie, it was really an honor to be here today. I want any everybody listening, knowing that I really care about you and your students very, very much. This is the biggest honor of my life. I take it very, very seriously, and know that I am your voice at the statehouse, because public education matters.

Katie Olmsted 17:30
Now, as I mentioned at the top of this episode, this is the last Public Education Matters episode we're going to drop before Election Day on November 5. If you have not already voted early in person or absentee by mail, you need to make your plan to vote in person on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5th. There is too much at stake. We cannot afford to sit this election out. OEA members can find more information about all of the pro public education, pro labor candidates their fellow OEA members have recommended this year on the OEA website and in your voter resource guide that was included with the latest Ohio Schools magazine. This podcast will be back next week as we prepare to mark Veterans Day. We have a very important conversation with one Ohio veteran-turned-public school educator that you do not want to miss. It's one of many conversations we're having as the podcast season continues with new episodes every Thursday this school year, because in Ohio, public education matters.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai