Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers spoke with America’s Work Force on Oct. 15 on improving conditions in charter schools.
Cropper first talked about the non-profit organization called Say Yes to Education and how they are working to ensure children in our communities have the means and opportunity to attend college. The organization works to provide scholarships for college or other post secondary schools to give kids the opportunity to further their education and have a fair shot at advancing in life. Cropper then discussed charter schools and how many of them in the area are underfunded and in desperate need of more resources for their classrooms. She hopes that Ohio’s legislatures are challenged to visit these schools and listen to these educators and committees about what needs to be done to improve their classrooms so that they can give their kids the best educational experience possible.
Sarah Lahm, a Minneapolis-based writer with the Progressive spoke with AWF on Oct. 15 about why Democrat candidates should target charter schools with parts of their agendas. She said that non-profit charter schools are in a never-ending battle against for-profit schools as they usually fall under the victim to being underfunded and under resourced. Lahm said that if a candidate could gain support from people in charter school areas by promising to help improve quality and conditions of schools, the candidate will find they will gain many supporters.
AWF host Ed “Flash” Ferenc spoke about Houston Airport Workers receiving an increase in minimum wage from $7 an hour up to $12 an hour.
Gaddis talked about bringing in better food for school lunches and how it will benefit not only the kids, but also the workers. She said that by having schools switch over to non-industrialized, the food will be better quality, and better jobs could be made out of it. Gaddis spoke about cafeteria workers and how they could have better quality jobs if there was quality food to give the children because they would spend more time working to make the food, rather than providing frozen meals. Workers would see higher wages and more hours, while the children are provided higher-quality and nutritional food. She also discussed teachers organizing free school lunches for a school’s less fortunate children.
David Dayen, executive editor of the American Prospect joined the August 20 show to talk about President Trump’s fake trade war with China. He talked about how the President called China a currency manipulator and continues to battle with them over tariffs. Dayen said that the President continues delaying to give China a necessary response on how to end this feud over steel.
Tri-C Automotive Technician Program Director Kitty McCarthy came on AWF to discuss how GM pays for their apprentices to receive an automotive technician education. Called the General Motors Dealer Technician Apprenticeship, students learn the most up-to-date information in order to learn how to work as an automotive technician in the ever changing auto industry. The need for highly qualified technicians is increasing as vehicles are becoming increasingly complex, especially as manufacturers continue to push electric engines. In order to meet the demand for certified GM technicians at their dealerships, GM has stepped up to the plate. Once the technicians complete the GM Dealer Technicians Apprenticeship, they will be eligible for a job as an automotive technician with GM.
Sandra Theis, interim executive director for ProgressOhio spoke with AWF on June 18 about the charter school accountability project. She talked about how there are an increasing amount of for-profit charter schools where more money is being given outside of the school, and less to the education for the students. Theis stressed that charter schools need to be held more accountable with their money and what they do with it, since children’s education should be a top priority, not making money while taking away valuable resources. She concluded her time on AWF by talking about the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) scandal and how the FBI is being brought in to investigate it.
Jeff Bryant, freelance journalist with the Independent Media Institute spoke to AWF on April 16 about wasting valuable money on charter schools. He talked about a charter school grant program that is taking money away from other school funding and how it is causing schools to have to cut programs so that they are able to remain open. He said one thing that is upsetting many other schools is that this charter school grant program is asking for more money, even though their education is being cut, and how he thinks they should be thoroughly audited so that people can see they do not need more money.
Dr. Michael Hutchinson, associate clinical professor at Mt. Sinai joined AWF on March 19 to speak about healing America’s healthcare system. He talked about what it means to have an “all care” system compared to a medicare for all system and how they are similar. Lastly, he talked about how an all care system is “free enterprise” compared to healthcare for all being a form of socialism.
Keary McCarthy of the 
