COLUMBUS, Ohio — The local community, which has included many Columbus City Schools graduates, has rallied around the Columbus Education Association as their strike reached a third day.
What You Need To Know
- CEA strikers picket for third day
- Wednesday was the first day of school for Columbus City Schools
- Many current students and CCS alumni have joined CEA members on picket line
- The Board of Education and CEA met to negotiate again Wednesday afternoon
- The Board's final offer included upgrades to 16 buildings but didn't include timeline
On the first day of school, Columbus Alternative High School (CAHS) looked like a ghost town. Teachers have been on the picket line since early Monday morning, meaning students were being taught remotely by substitutes.
Mounir Lynch, who graduated from CAHS in 2015, found himself at his old high school for the first time in almost a decade Wednesday to join some of his former teachers on the picket line.
“I created a lot of great memories and a lot of great relationships that last till this day,” said Lynch.
CAHS has had many issues over the decades. The school was converted from an elementary school and expanded into a high school in the late 1970s.
When Lynch walked the grounds again, he said much hasn’t changed, which is one reason teachers are on strike.
“Over the years and through the seasons, it’s really obvious that the building really needs some work and especially with the great things that people in this building achieve every day, they deserve that,” said Lynch. “Education looks way different (from) even when I attended this school. I think people are more inspired to use their voices and they’re more aware of the things that are going on in the world around them.”
Building conditions have been a vital negotiation point for parents, teachers and students at schools like CAHS. The board’s final offer included building upgrades, like heating and cooling, to 16 different buildings, but they have not provided a timeline.
Lynch also encountered some of CAHS’ current students.
Julian Kay is a senior at CAHS and said that as the years have passed, conditions have gotten more and more unbearable.
“We have to take days off school because it gets too hot because there is no air conditioning and we have to bring blankets and hoodies during the winter because it gets too cold,” said Kay. “There have been multiple times where I’ve swatted roaches crawling on my leg or seen mice crawling out of the walls. It’s pretty wild, and it’s kind of hard because it disrupts class and makes it hard to carry on through lessons and learn the way that I’d like to.”
While past and present students join their teachers on the picket line, Lynch said that fighting for change will help the future generations.
“This could’ve happened a while ago, but we’re doing it now and it feels good,” said Lynch. “These people are energized and to witness the support for the most important people in Columbus, Ohio today.”
The teachers’ union and the board returned to the negotiation table Wednesday afternoon. Many teachers and students are hoping a deal will be made that will return them to the classroom.