Thirteen teacher leadership students visited the Ohio State Capitol for Day on the Square on Tuesday, April 29. Every year, Marietta College students and their professors join members of the Ohio Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (OACTE) for the advocacy day.
This year, students advocated for solutions to three issues facing teachers — a minimum salary of $50,000, reversing recent changes to the grade band system, and continuing teacher preparation standards. In small groups students were able to meet with four legislators, including Rep. Kevin Ritter from Marietta, and four legislative aides to talk about how those issues are impacting educators.
Trinity Cade ’27, explained the importance of students advocating for these issues.
“As people that haven't even entered the schools, showing our concern can help them maybe understand a little further how this is going to impact us as teachers and how it's impacting us now as students.”
Students also had a chance to apply what they’ve researched for class. Conner Fee’s, ’27, All Scholars Day project addressed teacher shortage by increasing preparation programs and assessment standards for educators. During Day on the Square, Fee was able to speak knowledgably about these policies with legislators and aides.
“For me, it was about teacher preparation and how important it is that we have the brightest teachers, the people that are most able and willing to be in front of our classrooms to actually deliver the information” Fee said.
Dr. Tanya Judd explained her LEAD 210 students were well prepared, including preparing elevator speeches and research specifically for the trip.
“They realized that they knew more about these topics and cared a lot more about these topics than the legislators did, and they felt like they had something to share.”
The trip is beneficial for the Ohio Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (OACTE), educators, and legislators by building relationships and repertoire. Marietta College's Dr. Nicole Whitaker who serves as the chair of OACTE's Advocacy Committee, was instrumental in organizing the Day on the Sqaure for OACTE and specifically for the Marietta College students who participated.
“We want to be seen as the ‘go to’,” Judd said. “If there's education legislation, [OACTE] would like legislators to turn to us as experts.”