In Ohio, students learning in school districts that are separated by just a few miles may feel like they are living in separate worlds. But these students have far more in common with each other than they may think, and together, they can take on some of the toughest questions in our society. Olentangy Teachers Association member Derek Burtch explains how his non-profit organization Erase the Space is helping to facilitate those connections. We also hear from India Strother, a Columbus school counselor, who has spent this school year honing her connection-building skills, among many others, as OEA's NEA Fellow.

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Featured Public Education Matters guests: 

• Derek Burtch, Olentangy Teachers Association member, Erase the Space co-founder
  • Derek Burtch is the co-founder of the educational nonprofit Erase the Space and current English teacher at Olentangy High School. He is in his 16th year teaching high school English, including 6 years at North Union High School and 7 years at Olentangy Liberty High School--where Erase the Space was created and cultivated in partnership with Amelia Gordon and South High School in Columbus. Erase the Space engages students living in the segregated metro area of Central Ohio in democratic discourse across their segregated school districts through classroom learning exchanges. These exchanges are curated to engage students in conversation about shared social issues in order to move towards collaborative imagining of solutions. Derek is also one of the founding members of NExT Hub at Otterbein, a center for teachers to collaborate across districts in antiracist and liberatory efforts to support and provide solidarity for teachers engaging in acts of disruption across the Central Ohio area. His published works can be found in The English Journal, Theory Into Practice, and in the book of compiled essays titled The Ethics of Digital Literacy.
• India Strother, Columbus Education Association member, NEA Organizing Fellow
  • India Strother started her journey in education as an ESP in Warrensville heights city school district. From there, she continued her journey in education and graduated from The University of Akron with a master’s in education with a concentration in school counseling. India comes from an along line of educators who made working in education a proud family tradition. In 2022, she was awarded the OSCAR award from The Ohio School Counselor Association. As a counselor, India loves meeting the needs of her students social, emotional, and academic needs so they can meet their potential and fulfill their dreams.

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About us:

• TheOhio 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 April 17, 2024.