Posted in: Connecticut, Election 2012, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Wisconsin

5 things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving

Tag education activists, Election 2012

by Félix Pérez/photo courtesy of Danbury Public Library

Gathering with family and friends you hold dear. Helping yourself to an extra slice of pie. Lifting

your glass to give thanks for the things that matter. Watching a football game on TV or playing in one in the backyard.

These acts will be repeated a thousand times over tomorrow by families across America.

In keeping with the spirit of Thanksgiving, Education Votes offers up five reasons why we should all be thankful to those educators and individuals who stand tall for students and public education:

• NEA members made more than 1 million telephone calls and thousands participated in local canvassing efforts to get out the vote and educate voters about critical election issues.
• Educator activists made more than 12,000 phone calls to friends, family, colleagues and neighbors in the final six weeks leading up to this month’s election.
• More than 35,000 “super educator activists” worked tirelessly to help push President Barack Obama over the top for his leadership in investing in education, making college affordable and enacting health care reform that has benefited millions of children, young adults, seniors and families.
• The new members of the U.S. Senate who will be advocates for students, educators, public schools and middle class families: Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Chris Murphy (Conn.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.).
• The election of new pro-public education governors Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Jay Inslee (Wash.) and Steve Bullock (Mont.).