Confusion, aggravation simmer for those affected by Senate Bill 5; Town hall meeting leads to little satisfaction
While State Sen. Larry Obhof and State Rep. Dave Hall did field questions and allow plenty of time for interested parties to voice their concerns, those leaving the meeting did not have an overwhelming belief that they were any more informed about the bill than they were before they came.
"I was glad to see that Dave (Hall) was willing to come out and meet with us," said Randy Carmel, a Holmes County native who teaches in Wooster. "I think I heard some questions answered, but a lot of it is political talk-speak to me until I see how they vote. For instance, Mr. Obhof mentioned all of these things that sound like regrets after they passed the bill. But I am really frustrated... really frustrated that it had to get to this point that they would go after the teachers like this. As a teacher for the past 24 years, I feel disillusioned, like it's a slap in the face, because we have been a part of our communities, and we've got principals and administrators here tonight on our behalf, so they must be concerned about these issues as well. When you've got everyone from custodians to the administration here expressing concerns about the bill, there must be a problem with it."
Carmel said that while he understands that Hall and Obhof are fairly new to this, he hopes that they see how important this is to the infrastructure of communities.
"I honestly think that the way they are doing this is dismantling the infrastructure of our communities, and not propping it up," said Carmel. "There are other ways we can come together and collectively bargain as a community to figure out how we can meet the needs of our government so that they can reduce the fiscal emergency. We can do this if we work together, but what we can't do is just start taking a very important part of our communities and start lopping it off at the knees. That's one of my biggest concerns."
While Obhof spoke about what the Ohio Senate went through in arriving at their conclusion and passing Senate Bill 5, Hall took plenty of notes, and spoke about his passion for the community he grew up in and where he served as a commissioner for more than one decade.
However, Obhof's description of what took place in the Senate, and Hall's inability to flesh out the details of exactly what the bill meant to teachers, firefighters, and policemen and women did little to allay the fears, whether they were real or imagined, of the union members.
Questions from those in attendance were either answered unsatisfactorily, or not answered at all, while others did provide some insight into the bill. But what information was provided did little in quelling the growing fear and anxiety of the union members of the respective groups affected by the bill.
Former West Holmes teacher and Teachers Union president Bob Porter attended the meeting. Still a huge advocate of the teacher's union and the school district, Porter said that he was disappointed with the lack of communication, not just in the town hall meeting but from the very introduction of Senate Bill 5.
"I give them (Obhof and Hall) credit for being here, and I thought some of the questions raised were good ones," said Porter, a 31-year veteran in the West Holmes School District. "I don't think there have been many questions answered, and people are still extremely nervous about what this means, because we just don't know what is true and what isn't. I really don't know where we're heading with the education system in Ohio. We've got great teachers in our county; hard working teachers who do a great job. We've got firemen and policemen who risk their lives every day, and they're under attack. This strikes me as a way to bust the union in Ohio, and nothing more."
Kate Boyle, West Holmes Education Association president, said that the meeting did touch on a number of topics that many of the teachers were interested in hearing about, while at the same time it fell short in providing any solid, in-depth answers for questions that have been plaguing teachers and school staff members since the bill came into being.
"I didn't feel that many of the questions were answered with clear and succinct, concise answers," said Boyle. "But at least a lot of the feelings throughout the community were expressed by the attendees, so it was a positive that they at least heard our voice."
Boyle hopes that the concerns the teachers voiced were heard by Hall, who will now take back to Columbus the information and passion the teachers shared at the meeting, where the Ohio House members will continue to discuss the bill. As for the passion of those at the meeting, Boyle said she appreciated the passion with which those who represented West Holmes and surrounding school districts conducted themselves, and said that there was a reason so many teachers showed up for the meeting.
"I am proud to be a teacher at West Holmes, and proud to be a teacher in general," said Boyle. "I think our profession deserves to be heard, and this is so important to all of us because we are very passionate about what we do. We take great pride in teaching the leaders of the future, and I think everyone here feels the same way."
As for the representation from the West Holmes school board, Boyle said that perhaps the greatest thing teachers can take from the meeting is that the school administration is firmly in their corner. "It felt good to have the backing of our administration here tonight. That goes a long way in bringing unity to a district that is already very strong."
Like many in attendance, however, Boyle left feeling unfulfilled in her quest to gain more information on the nuts and bolts of the bill. She felt it was rushed through the Senate, and is being rushed through the House, with many of its amendments still in question. Boyle has been part of the negotiating process within West Holmes School District, and has seen how people have worked together on the local level to be fair to all, while still managing to trim large percentages off the West Holmes budget.
"If something wasn't quite right, or if questions still remained with regard to our contract, we took the time necessary to make sure everyone was on the same page and that we were all working toward the same goal," said Boyle. "Is the same happening with Senate Bill 5 at the state level? What will Dave Hall do to ensure that our voices are heard at the state level to protect the education of Ohio's future constituents and representatives?"
That is as elusive an answer as has been the explanation as to how Senate Bill 5 works.
Published: March 17, 2011
