HILLIARD, Ohio — It was a packed room Tuesday night in Hilliard as Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy shared his vision for the future of public education, but outside, dozens of educators and advocates gathered in protest, saying they were left out of the conversation entirely.

About 100 public education advocates, including teachers and students, lined the street outside the private event, chanting and waving signs. Their message was simple: “Don’t have a conversation about us, without us.”

Organizers billed the demonstration as a “Picnic for Public Education” and said they were protesting their exclusion from the evening’s education policy discussion.

“We should be involved in this conversation,” said Laura Mullen, a Brunswick City Schools board member and represent

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