Latest Info For Members

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.

If you are looking to get more involved in your Local Association but don’t know where to start, Central OEA/NEA offers interested members an Emerging Leaders program to get you on your way.

Come learn about...
- Uncover the various layers of the Association
- Learn about opportunities to increase your involvement in the Association
- Explore ways to become a leader in the Association
 - Explore your leadership style and skills needed as an Association leader
 - Investigate how leaders identify issues and work to resolve them
- Discover the importance of advocacy
 - Learn how to become an OEA or NEA delegate to the RA
- Tour OEA headquarters

Led By:
Joie Moore, Pickerington SSA
If You Are Interested:
If you are interested in learning more about the program or wish to join send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Free Contact Hours:
Upon completion of the program, participants will be awarded a certificate detailing the number of contact hours earned.

Meeting Dates:

2026
9/16 In Person (Central office)
10/21 OEA Building Tour
11/18 Virtual meeting
2027
1/20 In-person
2/17 Virtual
3/17 In-person
4/21 In-person
5/19 Cadre final dinner

Meetings begin at 5:30 PM

Central is offering Association Leaders, Treasurers, and Building/Faculty Reps training on June 4th at the Central office (2760 Airport Dr. Suite 120B. Columbus OH 43219).

Association Rep Training
June 4, 2026. 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
This training will cover the role of being a rep, communicating with members and administration, and representing members in difficult meetings. Local officers welcome to attend.

President's Training/Local Leader Think Tank
June 4, 2026. 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
This training for local officers will include the nuts and bolts of the OEA President's manual including election procedures, Constitution & Bylaws compliance, the OEA Local Development Tool, the grant application process, engaging your members, and more. It will also allow time for networking and sharing of best practices among locals.

Open to new and experienced presidents and other officers with the hope that we will learn from each other. Attending this training is one of the qualifying events for Central's Local Participation Award Program.

To register for these sessions simply:
• Login to your Central account (or create one if you don't have one)
• Scroll down to the session you wish to attend and click "going."
• Wait a moment for your selection to register. That's it.

We will have food and beverages available at the in-person training sessions.

We have set the times and dates for the Central Treasurers' Workshops for 2026. You may choose to attend either or both.

Attending a Treasurer’s Workshop is a requirement to qualify for the OEA fiscal fitness award. We also recommend that Newer Local Presidents and Local Membership Chairs attend the New Treasurers' Workshop.

The Central Treasurers workshop(s) will be VIRTUAL via Zoom

6/4/26 - New Treasurers' Workshop 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Our traditional annual offering of training for Local Treasurers with limited experience

6/4/26 - Experienced Treasurers' Workshop - 10:45 a.m. - Noon
Our traditional annual offering of training for Local Treasurers with experience

To register:
Login to your Central account (or create one if you don't have one)
Scroll down to the training session you wish to attend and click “going"
Wait a moment for your selection to register. That's it.

We’ll send Zoom information a few days prior to the training.

The 2026 Diversity Conference - DEI Where Are You?

When: February 7 starting promptly at 9:00 am - Noon on Zoom.

We will have 2 panels, offering 2 different perspectives.
Panel 1 – The Community
Panel 2 – The Educators

All Central events are free for Central members and can earn participants free CEU's!

Register no later than February 4 for this excellent professional development offering::
1. Log in to your Central account (or create an account if you don't have one)
2. Scroll down to "Central Diversity Conference" and click "Going"
3. Wait a short moment for it to register. That's it.

We will email all registrants the Zoom link a few days before the event. As always, our events are free for members.

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