NEA welcomes Secretary Castro’s public education proposal

WASHINGTON - National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García provided the following statement in reaction to the release of Secretary Julian Castro’s comprehensive education proposal:

“Educators, joined by parents and students in the #RedForEd movement, have spearheaded a national conversation about ensuring that students have the public schools they deserve regardless of where they live or how well off their families are. We applaud Secretary Castro for taking this to heart in his comprehensive education proposal that calls for, among other things, universal pre-K and full-day kindergarten for all students, investments to help attract and retain quality educators in neighborhood schools, and a plan to tackle student debt and college affordability. 

“What is also becoming increasingly clear as the #RedforEd movement spreads, and the eyes of the nation turn to the 2020 presidential campaign, is that we must elect a president who will always do what is best for students. We look forward to a robust debate among all presidential candidates about how we provide every student the opportunity to succeed no matter her or his ZIP code.”

NEA launched its Strong Public Schools campaign, which will focus on lifting public education in the presidential campaign, engaging presidential candidates, and providing NEA’s more than three million members a voice and seat at the table in the election process. NEA’s Strong Public Schools campaign will deliver the unified message that all students deserve a great public education regardless of income or ZIP code, because giving children a fair opportunity creates strong public schools and a stronger America. NEA is in the early stages of evaluating the 2020 presidential candidates. Praise for any candidate or her or his proposals is not an endorsement of that candidate.

Educators are trusted and powerful voices in every community, and NEA represents 1 in 100 Americans and 1 in 39 voters comes from an NEA household. NEA members are located in every U.S. congressional district, including key battleground states, which makes them key electoral influencers.