The next Governor and Ohio Legislature will decide school funding, educator pay, collective bargaining rights, and STRS Ohio retirement rules — for the next four years.

Why act now: several Ohio legislative races in 2024 were decided by fewer than 1,000 votes. Races that close are won by whoever shows up. Educators tip elections.

Two asks, and both are small.

1. Become an ACE

ACE — Advocate for Children and Education — is Central OEA/NEA's network of politically engaged educators. Sign-up takes two minutes and gets you weekly Wednesday updates, vetted candidate news, shareable graphics, Ohio voting guides, and action opportunities near you.

Sign up to become an ACE →

2. Volunteer for a postcard party

Handwritten postcards from real educators land differently than an ad someone scrolls past. Bring a pen; we'll handle the rest.

Register for any of these on the Central website.

Two minutes to sign up. Two hours to write postcards. In races this close, that's the whole margin.

Become an ACE →

Every school runs on the work of its support staff, and we want to say thank you! Central is delighted to host the 2026 Education Support Professional (ESP) Appreciation Dinner, part of this year's Education Week celebrations.

Active ESP members are encouraged to attend so we can recognize the important role you play in the work we do. The evening will include beverages, networking, a short program, dinner, and space to talk through our shared challenges and successes.

Event Details

• Date: Monday, November 16, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Location: Central Office, 2760 Airport Drive, Suite 120B, Columbus
• Cost: Free for members

How to Register

Please register no later than November 10 so we can plan the food. Registering is quick:

1. Log in to your Central account (or create one if you don't have an account yet).
2. Scroll down to "ESP Appreciation Dinner" and click Going.
3. Wait a moment for it to register, that's it!

Who Are ESPs?

Education Support Professionals keep our schools running. This dinner celebrates every one of these roles:

• Paraeducators: Instructional and non-instructional classroom support, teacher aides, and library assistants.
• Clerical Services: Secretarial, administrative support, data entry, and school office workers.
• Custodial and Maintenance Services: Building cleaning, physical plant care, and groundskeeping.
• Transportation Services: Bus drivers, mechanics, and fleet maintenance workers.
• Food Services: Food planning, cooking, cafeteria management, and meal service.
• Health and Student Services: School nurses, health aides, physical/occupational therapists, and family outreach workers.
• Security Services: School resource officers, campus security guards, and safety specialists.
• Skilled Trades: Carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and specialized machine operators.
• Technical Services: Computer network technicians, audiovisual specialists, media staff, and PR/art technical roles.

As always, our events are free for members. We hope to see you there as we celebrate the people who make our schools work.

Central's annual Power Up! conference returns this year - We are heading to a new location but offering the same exciting professional development opportunities for all of Central's educators and support professionals. Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 24th (don't worry - it is a bye week for the Buckeyes) and come to the Innovative Learning Center in Hilliard (5323 Cemetery Road, Hilliard, Ohio 43026). This free event is open to all Central members and will offer a variety of sessions with a plethora of topics to fit anyone's curiosity.

The following sessions are tentatively planned to be provided to our members.

• Student Discipline - Workplace Safety, Student Disruptions, and Member Privacy and Public Records - This session explores safety issues in today's educational workplace in relation to disruptive and violent student conduct, while discussing practical approaches for educators and school employees. It will also outline privacy considerations for employees in the public-school setting.
• Emerging Voices - This program offers a pathway of support for those leaders in your association that are ready to move on to the next level. The goal is to develop a team of potential leaders to fill your bench and to expand current capacity.
• Election 2026 - What to know and how to help - With the election around the corner, having a better understanding of what is at stake and how you can be a part of that change is paramount during an election cycle. These sessions will address those issues and give you the opportunity to support pro-public candidates.
• Wellness - How to help your members stay healthy and happy - Staying positive and mentally strong is sometimes a challenge as the school year progresses. This session will provide you tools to destress and potentially bring ideas back to your local association so your members can do the same.
• Strengthening Communication Within your Locals - Looking to improve communication and keep members in the loop? This session will provide ways to strengthen communication techniques within the local and your membership, as well as ways to avoid ineffective practices.
• How to use Social Media and Digital Communication to strengthen your local - Using social media appropriately has always been a challenge for many locals. This session will provide you with tools and resources to maximize your effectiveness in using social media and strengthening your digital communication within your local association.
• ESP Roundtable - A perfect opportunity to talk through issues and get feedback from other ESP members to help strengthen your local association. An open forum where guided discussions will provide people with the tools to strengthen their local.

CEUs will be awarded for attending this conference and it is open to all members at no cost. We will be hosting a social function after the conference located near the school.

To register
Log in to your Central account (or create an account if you don't have one)
Scroll to the "Power Up! Conference" event and click "Going". Wait a short moment for it to register. That's it.