COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- City leaders are commending the Columbus Education Association and the Columbus City School board now that they've come to a comprehensive agreement. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said he is looking forward to seeing students and teachers back in the classroom and having a productive year. “It is time for our kids [...]
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- City leaders are commending the Columbus Education Association and the Columbus City School board now that they've come to a comprehensive agreement.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said he is looking forward to seeing students and teachers back in the classroom and having a productive year.
“It is time for our kids to get back to school and for teachers to get back to what they love to do, what they were called to do and that is educating the next generation,” Ginther said.
Ginther said he is happy both sides have come together to form a partnership and make the city's schools a better place for everyone. The mayor said, throughout the negotiation process, he has been in constant contact with both sides.
“Our kids deserve our very best and I think this agreement is a great way for us to show that,” Ginther said.
He said, although he wasn’t directly involved with negotiations, he spent the last few weeks offering up ideas and encouraging both parties to work this out for the students. He said his job as the mayor was to act as a partner to both sides as well as ensure the city is investing in education and bettering the next generation.
“That is something that we are going to continue to do stay in close contact with the CEA and the district and continue to work with them to make sure our kids are in school learning and safe," Ginther said. "And to make sure that we are doing what we can to make sure neighborhood safety is a top priority."
The mayor said the city has already made significant investments in summer youth programing and employment. In the future they are planning to expand their investment into high quality early childhood care to make Columbus City Schools the best place for the kids.
“I think it is very important for us to continue to work together, to collaborate, to invest, to prioritize our young people and we’re going to continue to work with the district to figure out how we can best do that,” Ginther said.
