State school board candidate appears on 'Between the Lines'

SANDUSKY — A former educator and experienced lawmaker wants to turn around Ohio's state school board. State Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, is running for state school board this fall. Fedor, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Ohio Air National Guard, recently appeared on the Register's "Between the Lines" program. The 30-minute interview is available for demand viewing on the Register's YouTube channel and on sanduskyregister.com. Fedor was a teacher for 18 years. She's served as a legislator for 22 years and served on the education committee the entire time, she said. She's running because current state board members "aren't trying to help with policy-making and advising the state superintendent." 'Between the Lines' is sponsored by Serving Our Seniors "Our state board of education is truly off track and not taking care of business for the local school boards that need their help, our children and families who are counting on a strong modern public education system, so I believe it's a good fit (for me)." The state board of education consists of 11 members who are elected by taxpayers and eight who are appointed by the governor. Together, the board seeks to influence state lawmakers regarding education policies. Within the past year, members of Ohio's state school board have come under fire for repealing its anti-racism resolution, conducting an unethical state superintendent search and, in recent months, considering a resolution to not allow Title IX protections for Ohio LGBTQ+ students and families despite federal government guidance to do so. Title IX is the federal law that requires public schools to treat all students as equals regardless of gender. Last week, the state board delayed its vote on an anti-Title IX resolution as members voted 12-7 to further review it, the Columbus Dispatch reported. If it's approved by the state board, the resolution would allow Ohio's state superintendent to tell all Ohio school boards that they don't need to follow the Title IX expansions and recommend state lawmakers to authorize stopgap funding to any school districts that refuse to comply. The resolution would also allow teachers and administrators to "out" LGBTQ students to their families. "This is political fire unfortunately on the backs of our most vulnerable children," Fedor said. "We should be about modernizing our public education system to meet the work world and to financially support our local school boards who are elected and responding to the community to do that job."