Quote: ”I decided then that the way I was going to make the most difference for the most people was not in politics or law or things like that. It was in the classroom, it was by helping kids become better critical thinkers and problem solvers and decision makers so that they could be good citizens.”

Summary
On today’s episode of Spanning The Need, Anthony Spano is joined by Scott DiMauro, the president of the Ohio Education Association (OEA) who has over 30 years of experience as an educator. Today, in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, Scott joins Anthony to discuss the challenges faced by the education system and how to improve the lives of educators.

Scott begins the conversation by sharing his experience as an educator and how he began his teaching career. He discusses the current state of the education system and why educators are finding it difficult to impact students in the current system. He delves into the issue of funding many schools face and how politics affects decisions made in and for schools. The episode rounds off with Scott calling for resources to be allocated to schools based on needs for the betterment of students and teachers alike.

Tune in to the show now to explore:
-How the education system has evolved over the years and the pressure of standardized testing
-Improving the school system for educators and students alike
-The impacts and benefits of unionism and how the OHEA improves the lives of educators
-The influence of politics on the education system and how educators can get involved
-Managing the impacts of the pandemic on students

Timestamps:

[00:43] Introduction to Scott DiMauro
[01:55] Scott describes what piqued his interest in teaching
[05:25] The evolution of education over the years
[06:38] There has been a pressure on educators since the pandemic
[10:48] Improving the lives of educators is important
[17:11] Collaboration and teamwork improves the state of education
[17:46] The benefits of joining a union as educators
[18:57] How politics influences the education sector and why educators need to be politically aware
[22:16] The history of school funding in Ohio
[25:55] Examining the effects of the pandemic on the school system
[30:31] Why resources should be distributed based on the needs of individual schools
[34:38] The issues associated with public school funding
[37:09] Scott answers some personal questions

Relevant links:
Connect with Anthony:
Listen to more episodes: https://anthonyvspano.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthonyvspano
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spanningtheneed

Connect with Scott:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.dimauro
Twitter: https://twitter.com/govteacherscott
OEA website: https://www.ohea.org/