Ohio
District 10: Ohio’s Board of Education candidates talk culture wars
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Within the second version of Information 5’s state Board of Schooling sequence, the candidates for District 10 focus on controversial matters.
The primary version targeted on funding and college alternative — click on or faucet right here to learn.
To study why you need to be taking note of the Board of Schooling races, click on or faucet right here.
Who’s in District 10
District 10 is made up of Senate districts 21, 27 and 28. This incorporates the east aspect of Cuyahoga County, a part of Geauga County and all of each Summit and Portage counties.
To search out out in case you are in District 10: The Sec. of State web site has a helpful software known as “Discover my District.”
As soon as you might be there, kind in your tackle. It’s best to get a pop-up stating the numbers for your home, senate, congressional and college district.
If it says District 10, you possibly can study extra in regards to the candidates you will be voting on beneath.
Candidates
All candidates are elected as nonpartisan, nevertheless, they all the time have political leanings.
Tim Miller is the Akron-based incumbent. He was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to finish the final two years of a four-year time period. He’s a former Akron Faculties board member. He additionally leans conservative.
Tom Jackson is from Solon, one of many east aspect suburbs of Cleveland. He has a level in schooling and is on the Solon Metropolis Faculties Strategic Planning group. He leans progressive.
Cierra Lynch Shehorn is a Summit County advisor. She owns her personal agency and has labored in PR and media relations. She leans conservative.
Tradition wars
The battle round what college students ought to be taught at school continues to rage on in not simply the Ohio Legislature but in addition on the native stage.
Dad and mom have been elevating issues on either side for about two years now, however the debate is heating up because the election will get nearer.
Dozens of households, college students and educators have reached out to Information 5, asking the group to talk to candidates for the state faculty board in regards to the “tradition wars.”
Democratic-leaning candidate Tom Jackson needs to guard educators from points that he says detract from their actual mission — educating the scholars.
“What we’ve are largely false assaults and efforts to unravel non-existing issues,” Jackson mentioned. “And it is being pushed by the state Legislature.”
Greater than 100 faculties throughout the state are receiving requires guide bans, to cease discussions of race, sexuality and gender or to show atrocities such because the Holocaust from “either side.”
Home Invoice 616 states that no faculty district, group faculty, STEM faculty, private faculty that enrolls college students who’re collaborating in a state scholarship program, or any worker or different third occasion representing a college district or faculty, can educate any “divisive or inherently racist ideas.” That features the entire vital race principle, intersectional principle, the 1619 undertaking, range, fairness, and inclusion studying outcomes and “inherited racial guilt.”
The subsequent part of the invoice touches on sexuality and gender id.
Lawmakers hear Ohio’s model of Florida’s ‘Do not Say Homosexual’ invoice
This invoice got here after Information 5 aired an unique report about feedback made by one of many main sponsors of the unique “divisive ideas” invoice — H.B. 327. The report stemmed from an interview change between state Consultant Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and a Information 5 reporter Morgan Trau in early March.
Feedback in regards to the Holocaust from consultant sponsoring ‘divisive ideas’ invoice elevate issues
In the course of the interview, Fowler Arthur was requested in regards to the monetary side of the invoice. Whereas trying to speak about funding, she introduced up the Holocaust, saying that college students wanted to listen to the bloodbath from the attitude of the “German troopers.”
After the unique Information 5 story on Home Invoice 327’s sponsor’s feedback on the Holocaust went worldwide, the unique divisive ideas invoice has been renamed the “either side invoice” or the “either side of the Holocaust invoice.”
The lawmakers say that is to supply “transparency to oldsters” and to “shield in opposition to indoctrination.”
“If a invoice that claims we have to educate all sides of the Holocaust will get a committee listening to within the state, effectively, that is simply a humiliation for the state,” Jackson added. “There isn’t any room for this.”
Not addressing the particular payments, conservative-leaning Cierra Lynch Shehorn mentioned she believes in parental rights and that faculties ought to have the ability to do what they need.
“It ties into transparency and native management,” she mentioned. “These are issues that I actually consider in. I do not consider within the state overstepping.”
When pressed about how she would deal with the state imposing guidelines on learn how to educate topics just like the Holocaust, or gender, to native faculties, she mentioned that her position could be to simply “serve the aim given to by the Basic Meeting.”
She is rather more fascinated by ensuring there’s a functioning faculty board than coping with controversial matters.
Whereas Conservative-leaning incumbent Tim Miller mentioned he additionally believes in native management, like the opposite two candidates, he differs from Lynch Shehorn by explicitly condemning censorship.
“On guide banning and issues of that nature, I am not supportive of that,” he mentioned. “You definitely have to pay attention to age appropriateness.”
Miller is in opposition to banning books particularly relating to high-level and faculty lessons, which are typically extra worldly.
“Some folks did not like among the materials there, however these are college-level lessons,” Miller mentioned. “Youngsters of that age ought to be uncovered to every thing and something. Should you’re going right into a four-year diploma, that is a part of a four-year diploma.”
Regardless of his help of publicity to tough matters, Miller was one of many Board of Schooling members to repeal a 2020 anti-racism decision.
The decision condemned racism, made a aim to have fairness in alternatives for college kids of colour and inspired range coaching.
When requested about his vote, the incumbent mentioned he “nonetheless stands behind” it. Defending himself, he mentioned he voted to take away the condemnation of racism doc attributable to a “technicality.”
“After that decision handed, the state required range, fairness, inclusion coaching for all state workers,” he mentioned. “In order that a part of Decision 20 was not wanted anymore.”
He took numerous “blowback” for his vote in Akron, he mentioned.
The board ended up with a alternative decision, he mentioned. The gist of the brand new decision is that the board condemns any teachings that “search to divide.”
“I am right here to assist each youngster, no matter their background, , race, colour, creed, orientation and issues of that nature,” Miller mentioned.
It’s possible Lynch Shehorn would have voted the identical approach as Miller.
“I am not a giant fan of resolutions,” she mentioned. “I consider that we have to depart the legislating to the legislators.”
Information 5 repeatedly requested Lynch Shehorn for her response to particular payments and the way she would contemplate discussions of race at school, however she wouldn’t reply. As an alternative, she insisted that she is simply there to serve the Basic Meeting.
Jackson was adamantly in opposition to this logic, citing it’s ridiculous that condemning racism has grow to be a political battle.
“I’ll depart it as much as your viewers on what you’d name an anti-anti-racism decision,” he mentioned.
The repeal of the anti-racism decision exhibits lots in regards to the members who voted for it, the Democratic-leaning candidate mentioned.
Academics already needed to take care of a lot in the course of the pandemic and now they need to take care of legal guidelines launched or signed that the overwhelming majority of educators are in opposition to. It’s as much as the varsity board to help them, he mentioned.
“To assault [teachers] for political or cultural causes is only a disservice to the very youngsters that we’re making an attempt to help and carry up,” Jackson added. “We’d like folks which might be going to face as much as these forces and actually be champions of public faculties in Ohio.”
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Wish to study the most recent on the place the candidates stand? Information 5 is right here to assist. We created a 2022 midterm elections information, which is up to date every day based mostly on the altering candidacies.
Observe WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Fb.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have definitely undergone some major changes on both sides of the ball this offseason, but perhaps their biggest change has been defensively.
Ohio State has lost a plethora of players to the NFL Draft, particularly along its defensive front, which spearheaded the nation’s No. 1-ranked defense in 2024.
Fortunately, the Buckeyes have a great group of young players ready to hit the field in 2025, and that includes four-star freshman linebacker Riley Pettijohn.
Pettijohn was the No. 2-ranked linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class, so big things are expected of him next season, and he knows it.
In preparation for his debut campaign in Columbus, Pettijohn has already gained 12 pounds, going from 215 to 227 pounds over the last few months.
As a result, Pettijohn is becoming a more versatile threat along Ohio State’s front seven.
“I think I can do a little bit of everything,” Pettijohn told reporters. “I can cover, I can rush the passer, I can play the run, too. I think those are all my strengths. But I think my speed plays a factor.”
Pettijohn probably won’t be a starter right off the bat, as Arvell Reese is projected to begin the season at middle linebacker. But Pettijohn may see some snaps, and he is excited for the opportunity.
“It’s a responsibility, getting everybody lined up, getting the call,” Pettijohn said. “Knowing my assignment, I did it in high school, but it’s just upscaled a little more, so it’s going to take some getting used to. But I know I’m ready.”
We’ll see if the McKinney, Tx. native can make an impact in Year 1.
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Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters are lightly edited for clarity.
On Ohio State basketball
To the editor: I have such an empty feeling. It feels like I lost someone. The best few weeks in sports. I sit on the sidelines left out of the dance. I watched Michigan yesterday, a team that won only eight games last year. Their bigs dominated. What a turnaround. BIG BUCKS bring BIG BUCKS, I hope.
Marty Osmond
To the editor: SHAME ON YOU! What a terrible title for the hard playing, very successful OSU women’s basketball team. They played their hearts out but did not win the Tennessee game. But they did amass a tremendous record of 26-7 against many great teams. With that record they were given a No. 4 seed in their bracket. And they won their first game. Give them credit. Find a better title that doesn’t suggest they were losers.
Maybe … Came up a little short … OSU women put together a great season.
Next time do a little more thinking about how readers will react to the title of an article.
Pete Kienle, Powell
To Pete: I thought the headlines on Mike Arace’s column were fair for a team that was upset at home for the second year in a row. In print, it was “Diminishing returns: OSU runs out of gas, again falls in second round in tournament.” On Dispatch.com, the headline was “Buckeyes can’t find their way from Columbus to Sweet 16.” It was a fine season by the Buckeyes, but a disappointing ending.
On Michigan
To Brian: What do Voldemort, MacBeth and Michigan have in common?
Harry Potter’s nemesis was Lord Voldemort, an evil wizard so powerful and frightening that it was dangerous to even say the name out loud. Instead, everyone referred to him as “He Who Must Not Be Named.”
In the theatre world, “Macbeth” is considered a play so powerful and strange that it is thought to be unlucky to say the name out loud and is therefore called only “The Scottish Play.”
Here in Buckeye Nation, and especially, I imagine, even more so within in the football program, Michigan is referred to as “That Team Up North (TTUN).” Is this because Michigan is a team so powerful and frightful that it is unlucky or dangerous to say the name out loud? Maybe not intentionally.
This irrational fear to name something actually has a formal name: The Voldemort Effect. (Google it!) Well, Harry’s triumph over Voldemort began with saying the name out loud, and we know that “Macbeth” is regularly performed successfully on stages worldwide, with most characters speaking the name “Macbeth” out loud. So, what about Ohio State and Michigan?
Perhaps this irrational reluctance to say the name has become a psychological stumbling block leading to unlikely losses by OSU teams that were more talented than Michigan. It certainly seems like something negative is playing with their heads.
As spring training gears up, I have a suggestion for coach Day: Get it out of your head – SAY THE NAME!
Harry Campbell, Columbus
Buy Ohio State books, posters, gear from CFP title win
On politics in sports letters to the editor
Hi Brian: You state politics should not be in the sports section, but the sports section of The Columbus Dispatch publishes columns by Nancy Armour that contain criticisms of the president of the United States. Is criticizing our president not political?
Bob Jacobs
To Bob: Actually, I never said politics should not be in the sports section. I said, and I quote myself in last week’s Mailbox, “All sports discussions are best without any political accusations, leaning or segmentation.” Also, in my personal life, I get up and walk away from any sports discussion that delves into politics. In fact, I get up and walk away from any discussion of any sort that delves into politics. It didn’t used to be that way, but now it’s a key to a happier life.
More from the Mailbox
Was Ohio State right to skip the men’s basketball postseason?
Why can’t Ohio State basketball reach football’s elite status?
What’s wrong with Ohio State football players promoting religious beliefs?
Did Ohio State football players’ religious actions become ‘tiresome’?
Ohio State football’s Ryan Day might be more like Woody Hayes than you think
Is Knowles just a ‘gunslinger’, or is there more to his departure?
Is rude fan treatment of Ohio State football coach Ryan Day, family part of job?
Dispatch’s Ohio State football ‘best plays’ bracket guilty of recency bias
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The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2025 NFL draft.
During Jeff Hafley’s first season as defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, the pass rush did disappearing acts in big games far too often.
The Packers dismissed defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich and replaced him with DeMarcus Covington, who spent this past season as the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.
A player who appeared at his best on the big stage was Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau—the Buckeye defensive end checks in at No. 31 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
Tuimoloau played a vital role in Ohio State’s run to a National Championship. During the final six games, he recorded 11.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 23 pressures and 18 run stops.
“He was a key part to the nation’s No. 1 defense last season,” Stefan Krajisnik, an Ohio State reporter for Cleveland.com, said. ‘Playing with Jack Sawyer opposite him on the defensive line, Tuimoloau made life miserable for opposing tackles and quarterbacks. His talent has been evident for a while, highlighted by a 2022 game at Penn State in which he collected two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two interceptions. In 2024, though, you saw how good he could be when talent was paired with consistency.”
Standing at 6-4, 265 pounds, with long arms, Tuimoloau looks like he was sent from central casting. He’s a ready-made run defender. With his long arms, he’s able to lock out and keep himself detached. The Ohio State Edge rusher has powerful hands to deconstruct blocks. He’s strong at the point of attack and sets a firm edge. With his power, he’s able to forklift blockers out of the way to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He finished this past season with 22 tackles for loss and 39 run stops.
“He has good patience,” Krajisnik said. “There aren’t many edge rushers in this draft with more experience than Tuimoloau. That’s apparent in the run game.”
Tuimoloau’s pass rush plan is predicated on power and then more power. He keeps his feet moving at contact and uses a long-arm move to collapse the integrity of the pocket. He has a devastating bull rush and a powerful cross-chop. He’s not somebody that’s going to win with his first-step quickness or athleticism. He’s very detailed in his approach. His backup plan has a backup plan. Over the past three seasons, he recorded 21 sacks and 120 pressures.
Fit with the Packers
Brian Gutekunst made it crystal clear during the NFL Scouting Combine that they need the defensive line to create more chaos if they are going to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
“We need to affect the quarterback more in our front four, with just four players,” Gutekunst said. “I’m excited about the guys we have in the room, we’ll see if we add to it, but that’s gotta get better if we’re going to accomplish our goals we want to accomplish in this season.”
Tuimoloua has a knack for getting after the quarterback and his strong finish during his final season with the Buckeyes is proof that he may not have the quickest first-step or the most explosive, but he has a veteran-like pass rush plan that’s predicated on power and violence. On top of what he brings as a pass rusher, Tuimoloau is a pro-ready run defender.
“Tuimoloau is a former five-star prospect who consistently displayed talent late in his career, and there still feels like there’s untapped potential,” Krajisnik said. “Like many of Ohio State’s 2025 prospects, experience can’t be taught. He’s seen so many different offenses and so many different players.”
Tuimoloau is a well-rounded defensive end. If he’s still on the board when the Packers are on the clock with the 54th overall pick, it would not be shocking to see the Buckeye defender teaming with a former Wolverine and Hawkeye at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.
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