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Tallmadge Teachers Association: Turning grant funding into member impact

/ 26:45/S6 E36
OEA Locals can amplify the impact of their members' dues dollars through OEA grant programs - especially now, with the new Local Capacity Grants that are available just for completing a Local Capacity Toolkit assessment. The Tallmadge Teachers Association let the needs identified in that self-assessment drive their decisions not only to create a political action committee for their local, but also to create Action Plans to address needs in several other areas. Those Action Plans allowed them to access more Local Capacity Grant funding to support those new projects. TTA leaders join us for this episode to talk about how their Local Capacity and Wellness grants-fueled initiatives have strengthened member, student, and community engagement with their association. 

GRANT FUNDING IN ACTION | Watch this short video to see photos from a few of the many grant-supported projects the Tallmadge Teachers Association members mention in this episode!

CATCH UP | Click here to listen to our conversation with OEA Secretary-Treasurer Rob McFee from earlier this season about the OEA grants that are available and the changes that have been made to make this funding more accessible and impactful for local associations. Your Dues Dollars at Work: What you need to know about OEA's Local Affiliate Grants

JUMP AHEAD | Helpful timecodes to hear about some of Tallmadge TA's initiatives and projects:
  • 4:00 - Starting a political action committee, based on needs identified in the Local Capacity Grant toolkit assessment
  • 10:00 - Cultural events at the middle and high schools
  • 16:00 - Improving association visibility with kindergarten graduation t-shirts
  • 19:45 - OEA Wellness Grant-funded Survival Bags
  • 21:00 - Bagel-fed and Bracelet-bound, thanks to OEA Wellness Grant funding
  • 21:45 - Promoting Leadership with New Teachers
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OEA GRANTS:
  • For more information about the Local Capacity Grant, click here. Additional information can be found on the OEA Grants and Scholarships page, in the bottom right corner.
  • For more information about the OEA Wellness Grants, click here. 
  • For details about the Special Projects and Effective Local grants, click here. The application form is available here.
  • Click here to learn more about the OEA Foundation Grants.
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Featured Public Education Matters guests: 
  • Becky Miller, Tallmadge Teachers Association President
    • Becky Miller taught 5 years in Cuyahoga Falls and 30 in Tallmadge, where she is a second grade teacher. She is a past OEA Board member and past NEA Trainer of the Trainers. She currently serves as TTA president, with her term ending June 1st. 
  • Audrey Cunert, Tallmadge Teachers Association
  • Ashley Graham, Tallmadge Teachers Association member
    • Ashley Graham is a School Psychologist who worked for five years in Akron Public Schools before moving to Tallmadge schools four years ago. This year, she has also taken on the responsibility as the coordinator for the English as a Second Language program, though primarily, she still serves as a school psychologist. This is her first year in a leadership position with TTA and she is currently a building rep at Tallmadge Middle School.  
  • Lianna Dauberman, Tallmadge Teachers Association Secretary-Elect
    • Now in her 12th year as a school counselor -- all 12 of which have been in a K-5 setting -- Lianna Dauberman has been in Tallmadge schools for eight years now. She has been a building representative for TTA for the elementary for two years. This summer, she will start her new role as TTA Secretary. 
  • Brooke Nagy, Tallmadge Teachers Association
    • Brooke Nagy is a kindergarten teacher at Tallmadge Elementary School.  She has been teaching for 25 years and has been a building rep on Tallmadge Teachers Association for the last 17 years.  
  • Jon Bryan, Tallmadge Teachers Association Vice President
    • Jon Bryan is currently a fifth-grade teacher in Tallmadge, Ohio, and is finishing his 32nd year in education.  He holds his master's in education from Kent State and is a Nationally Board-Certified Teacher.  
Connect with OEA:
About us:
  • The Ohio Education Association represents nearly 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 May 5, 2026.
Tallmadge Teachers Association: Turning grant funding into member impact

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