ICYMI: Leaders, Parents, and Educators Gather in Hilliard to Advance Education Opportunity in Ohio

Aug 22, 2025 by AFP

Columbus, OH – On Wednesday, Americans for Prosperity–Ohio (AFP-Ohio) joined the Franklin County GOP and Hilliard GOP Club to co-sponsor a solutions-focused education policy discussion at the Makoy Center in Hilliard. The event brought together parents, educators, community leaders and policymakers to highlight policy solutions that expand K–12 education opportunity across Ohio.

Rick Carfagna, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the Ohio Chamber Of Commerce, opened the evening by underscoring the importance of high-quality education outcomes to Ohio’s business community and workforce competitiveness.

Following his remarks, a panel of leading voices in education shared perspectives on how to better empower families and strengthen Ohio’s education system:

Sen. Andrew O. Brenner – Chair, Ohio Senate Education Committee
Rep. Brian Stewart – Chair, Ohio House Finance Committee
Todd Hoadley – Superintendent, Tolles Career & Technical Center
Omar Tarazi – Attorney, South-Western City School District
Troy McIntosh – Executive Director, Ohio Christian Education Network
Tera Myers – School Choice Advocate, “Mom on a Mission”

The event concluded with keynote remarks from Vivek Ramaswamy, who highlighted the need to empower families and communities—not bureaucrats—to make the best decisions for Ohio students.

Event Highlights

Education Opportunity: Speakers emphasized ensuring every Ohio family has access to the best education option for their child—whether public, private, homeschool, or otherwise.
Family Empowerment: Parents and communities should be in the driver’s seat of education decisions, not status quo thinking that continues to deliver sub-par results.
Broad Partnerships: The event showcased a range of voices engaged to keep transformational education opportunity front and center for Ohio families.

“Families know best, and when we trust them, everyone wins,” said Donovan O’Neil, State Director of AFP-Ohio. “Students achieve more, educators are unleashed to do their life’s work, and Ohio builds a brighter future. That’s the momentum we saw in Hilliard—and it’s only growing stronger.”

The event underscores AFP-Ohio’s role as the state’s leading grassroots organization advancing education reforms that empower families and improve student outcomes.