To the editor:

On a Friday night in February, State Senator Al Cutrona stood me up for a date at La Pizzaria.

To be clear, it wasn’t just me; it was a group of educators from the ECOEA (East Central Ohio Education Association) at our annual Legislative Dinner. We invite all legislators who represent public schools in our district for a dinner and panel discussion. Senator Cutrona RSVP’d that he would be there. As a constituent who has called his office numerous times and not once received a call back, I sat at his table next to his reserved seat name tag and eagerly anticipated a conversation with him.

But he did not show up. He did not call and cancel. He did not return my call when I later phoned to ask why he hadn’t shown up.

He did, however, apparently show up to a meeting with area superintendents recently. In the Morning Journal article of March 25, Cutrona seemed eager to portray himself as someone who values an “open dialogue” and who thinks meeting with superintendent and treasurers will be “helpful in understanding their concerns and needs.”

Does Cutrona not think meeting with classroom teachers from various schools in his district would have been helpful? Do we not know (better than administrators, perhaps) the impact of budget cuts on our students and classrooms? Do we not have enough power for him to consider us worthy of his time?

He also said that he doesn’t think closing the federal Department of Education will have “any immediate impact on schools” (doubtful) and that he is “optimistic” about future implications (how nice for him). He is “curious to see what happens when those decisions are left in the hands of states.”

I’ve been a public school teacher for 29 years, and because I’ve seen how the Republican-led Ohio legislature has voted when it comes to public education matters, I can assure you that I am neither optimistic nor curious. I am terrified.

Senator Cutrona does not return phone calls and in at least one case, did not care enough about his constituents to cancel a planned appearance. These don’t seem to be the actions of a legislator interested in maintaining an open dialogue. I suspect he is more interested in playing and talking a good game.

Let’s see how he votes. I hope he surprises me.

Julie Holderbaum,

Minerva