Republican candidate for State Treasurer Jay Edwards: 'You can't love education if you don't have respect for educators'
What happens when one of the key legislative champions behind the Fair School Funding Plan sets his sights on statewide office? In this episode, OEA member-recommended candidate Jay Edwards reflects on his record of fighting for public schools in the Ohio legislature and explains how, as Ohio's next state treasurer, he would use the office's influence to strengthen educator retirement security, elevate educator voices, and continue advancing policies that help Ohio students succeed.
EDWARDS ON THE ISSUES |Click here to visit EdwardsForOhio.comand learn more about Jay Edwards' priorities as Ohio's next State Treasurer. Click here to read the write-up in OEA's Ohio Schools magazine about why Edwards was named a Legislative Champion for Public Education at OEA's Representative Assembly in Spring, 2025.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PRO-PUBLIC EDUCATION, PRO-LABOR CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT | OEA members can click here to check out the list of all the OEA-member recommended candidates running for state and federal office.
SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK | If you'd like to share your thoughts on the Public Education Matters podcast, including your ideas for what you'd like to hear on future episodes, please email educationmatters@ohea.org.
SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Public Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to listen on Spotify so you don't miss a thing. You can also find Public Education Matters on many other platforms. Click here for some of those links so you can listen anywhere. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.
EDWARDS ON THE ISSUES |Click here to visit EdwardsForOhio.comand learn more about Jay Edwards' priorities as Ohio's next State Treasurer. Click here to read the write-up in OEA's Ohio Schools magazine about why Edwards was named a Legislative Champion for Public Education at OEA's Representative Assembly in Spring, 2025.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PRO-PUBLIC EDUCATION, PRO-LABOR CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT | OEA members can click here to check out the list of all the OEA-member recommended candidates running for state and federal office.
SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK | If you'd like to share your thoughts on the Public Education Matters podcast, including your ideas for what you'd like to hear on future episodes, please email educationmatters@ohea.org.
SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Public Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to listen on Spotify so you don't miss a thing. You can also find Public Education Matters on many other platforms. Click here for some of those links so you can listen anywhere. 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 guest:
- Jay Edwards, OEA member-recommended candidate for State Treasurer
- Jay Edwards is a native son of Southeast Ohio. Born and raised in Nelsonville, Jay attended Nelsonville-York High School before going on to Ohio University on a football scholarship, where he graduated with his degree in mathematics.
- Jay first ran for public office in 2016 at the age of 27, becoming a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing Athens, Meigs, Washington, Vinton and Morgan counties.
- During his time in the legislature, Jay served as Chairman of the House Finance Committee, where he wrote and sponsored the state's operating and capital budgets. As Finance Chair, Jay successfully fought for a billion dollar increase in public education funding and helped secure nearly $400 million for higher education capital projects across Ohio.
- Jay lives in Nelsonville with his partner, Jayde, and their three children.
In this episode:
- 00:00 - Welcome & Why This Election Matters
- 02:48 - Meet Jay Edwards, OEA's 2025 Legislative Champion for Public Education
- 05:05 - Fighting Student Hunger and Expanding School Meals
- 07:53 - The Fair School Funding Plan and School Funding Reform
- 09:54 - What Does the Ohio State Treasurer Do?
- 11:08 - Protecting Educators' Retirement Security Through STRS
- 13:19 - Changes to the STRS Board and Why They Matter
- 15:12 - Transparency, Accountability, and Teacher Voices
- 17:31 - Listening to Ohioans Across the State
- 18:05 - Using the Treasurer's Office as a Voice for Public Education
- 19:48 - A Direct Invitation to Ohio Educators
- 21:58 - Closing Thoughts and Next Steps
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 approximately 115,000 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 September 8, 2026.
