​Where Students, Families, Educators and Communities Connect
Join us every third Thursday of the month to learn about important honesty education issues that are impacting your school districts, higher ed campuses, and communities. We'll break down pivotal legislation, policies, initiatives, and movements, and examine how they affect teaching, learning, and the student experience.
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Forums will be led by education experts and include in-depth discussions with students, educators, families, and community leaders. 


​COMING UP...

MAY 2022

Community Conversations: 
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health

HOSTED BY: United Way of Greater Cleveland

Thursday, May 19, 6pm 

Featuring:
  • Lovell Custard, President and CEO, Murtis Taylor Human Services System
  • Archie Green, Founder and CEO, Peel Dem Layers Back
  • Scott Osiecki, CEO, ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County
  • Brittain Paul, COO, Ravenwood Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month

​The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the mental health and well-being of communities across the country, including Ohio. Moreover, the pandemic exposed the preexisting disparities in access to behavioral health care services, especially in underserved communities, but also presented new opportunities in delivering behavioral health services, particularly with the expansion of telehealth regulations both at the federal and state levels.
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​A panel of experts will discuss COVID’s impact on community mental health and substance use, service delivery opportunities and barriers, and long-term programmatic and policy strategies at the local and state levels to adequately address the ongoing behavioral health needs of members in our communities.


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​ICYMI...
APRIL 2022

Understanding the 2022 Elections &
Ohio Education Issues

Thursday, April 21, 7pm 

Featuring:
  • Nazek Hapasha, Policy Affairs Manager, League of Women Voters Ohio
  • Darold Johnson, Director of Legislation, Ohio Federation of Teachers
Join us for a comprehensive program breaking down the ever-changing Ohio Primary Elections and important education bills that have become wedge issues in the elections.

Topics include:
  • How to Vote in the 2022 Primary Elections
  • Who and what are on the Primary ballot
  • Ohio Education Issues:
    • Censorship & "Divisive Concepts"
    • Gender-Affirming Care and Treatment 
    • School Board Terms
    • Vouchers & School Funding
    • And more...
MARCH 2022

YOUTH SPEAK OUT:
A Spectrum of LGBTQ+ Student Perspectives

Thursday, March 17, 7pm 

FEATURING:
  • ​Kathryn Poe, Public Policy Organizer, Equality Ohio
  • Pat Gleydura, Youth & Young Adult Organizer, Honesty for Ohio Education
Come learn & speak your mind about the current state of LGBTQ+ rights in Ohio!

We’ll unpack the Ohio Fairness Act, Ohio’s Curriculum Bans, and the recent attacks on gender affirming care for students.

Then, we give YOU the mic! 

Topics include:
  • Education 
  • Employment, Housing, Public Accommodations 
  • Health Care 
FEBRUARY 2022

​SPEAK OUT to Protect Honesty in Education

FEATURING:
​Kurt Russell, Ohio 2022 Teacher of the Year

SPEAKING OUT:
  • ​Kayla Blake, Student Leader, SPEAK Coalition 
  • Kayah Woodford, Student Leader, Bexley Anti-Racism Project
  • Holly Paden, Ohio Student Association 
  • Dexter James, Parent, ​Hudson City Schools 
  • Rick Hodges, Assistant Clinical Professor, Ohio University
  • Tom Roberts, President, Ohio NAACP 
  • Maria Bruno, Public Policy Director, Equality Ohio 
  • Rabbi Lindsey Danziger, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
  • Jona Hilario, Ohio Progressive Asian Women's Leadership
Students, families, educators, and community leaders will share why HONESTY in education matters to them and how the current attacks on public education are impacting their classrooms, campuses, and communities.

ALSO, Darold Johnson, Ohio Federation of Teachers, provides important updates about threats facing honesty in education at the Statehouse and State Board of Education:  divisive concept bills, transparency in education bills, and opposition to student wellness, mental health, and Ohio's Whole Child Framework. ​