WASHINGTON - National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García provided the following statement in reaction to the release of Sen. Kamala Harris’s proposal to attract and keep great educators in neighborhood schools and HBCUs.
“For more than a year, the #RedForEd movement has led the nation in a conversation about not just about what our students and educators need in our public schools, but also how great public schools strengthen entire communities. We applaud Sen. Harris for focusing on attracting and keeping great educators in neighborhood schools, and for understanding how this translates to the success of students in every ZIP code at a time when America is in the midst of a nationwide teacher shortage. We look forward to a robust debate among all candidates who recognize that public education is a key part of our nation’s future--the foundation that helps today’s students become tomorrow’s inventors, thinkers, artists, and leaders.”
NEA is in the nascent stages of evaluating 2020 presidential candidates and praise for any candidate’s proposal should not be seen as an endorsement of that candidate. As America’s largest organization of educators, NEA will be engaging in conversations with all candidates as we vet them to determine who has the best ideas for ensuring all students, regardless of where they live, have the support, tools, and time to learn.
Educators are trusted and powerful voices in every community, and NEA represents 1 in 100 Americans. Further, 1 in 39 voters come from an NEA household. NEA members are located in every U.S
