President's Viewpoint
Our People Power

It's time to organize and mobilize to elect pro-public education candidates--without regard to party affiliation.

"Don't hassle me with politics and campaigns. I just want to close my door and teach." In my many years as a teacher and Association leader, it seems like I've heard that refrain a million times!

While I understand why some of our colleagues say this, I respectfully disagree. Why? Because the harsh, cold reality is that just about every important decision involving our schools and classrooms is ultimately made by politicians.

Our elected officials decide whether to increase school budgets--or to slash them. They decide whether vouchers will be in place, thereby stripping already financially strapped districts of much needed dollars--or whether they will be rejected. They decide how much schools will pay--or not pay--to attract quality personnel. They make hundreds of decisions--decisions that determine the fate of our schools and the children we teach.

My friends, we have a professional responsibility to mobilize in the political arena. I guarantee you that other major professions and groups--doctors, lawyers, the National Rifle Association, the National Association of Manufacturers, and so many more--are actively involved in the political process. And we must be, too. After all, we are not a special interest. We are a very special interest, because we are standing up for children and public education.

And let us be clear. We don't care whether a candidate is a Democrat, a Republican, or an independent. In each race, we have a duty to size up the candidates objectively, and then support the one who stands most strongly for children and public schools. I am heartened that in recent years we have found more and more Republican candidates who fit that bill. I expect to find many more this year and in the future.

The stakes in this year's election are incredibly high. Because of the recent economic downturn, state legislatures across America are swinging the budget ax--canceling after-school programs, increasing class sizes, and freezing salaries. Public education detractors, energized by the Supreme Court's pro-voucher ruling last spring, are pushing their privatization schemes more fiercely than ever. The new federal education law is ratcheting up the mania to test, test, test.

We must speak up! We must strategize, organize, and mobilize! We must flex our people power! We are 2.7 million members strong--one in every 100 Americans. NEA is everywhere. We are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles in more than 13,000 communities all across America who teach the students.

And we offer a powerful vision--a vision that is at the heart of the American dream. We want every child to have access to a quality public education, free from fear or intimidation, in an atmosphere that is safe and conducive to good teaching and learning. We can only realize this vision if we are active in the political arena, if we speak up, organize, and work our hearts out this autumn for pro-public education candidates.

So let me make a request. I want you, as an individual, to get active and get involved. I also want you to speak to 10 other people in your community. Tell them about all the good things happening in your public schools. And urge them to support the candidates who will keep those good things happening in the future.

In short, in this year's election, I am asking you to make a difference. I know I can count on you!

Comments? E-mail Reg Weaver at RegWeaver@nea.org.