Posted In: Educator Voices, Election 2016, Uncategorized
Educators tap into voting power as primary season rolls on
By Amanda Litvinov
As a high school business teacher, Virginia’s David Palanzi spends a lot of time helping students understand the stories that lie within numbers.
And Palanzi says that when it comes to the 2016 presidential election, “three million”—the number of teachers and educators who belong to NEA—carries a powerful message.
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Put another way, one out of every 100 Americans belongs to NEA. “We have the numbers to steer the discussion to what really matters in schools and in our communities,” Palanzi says.
Now and over the coming months, educators—along with parents and voting-age students across the country—are stepping up to take part in their state’s caucus or primary, a first step in the process of electing a president who will stand up for public education.
You can join the Strong Public Schools campaign by sharing your story with the people in your community. Participate in your state’s primary or caucus. Attend campaign events. Work the phones. Knock on doors. And encourage your friends and family to also take part in election-related activities with public schools and working families in mind.
“Having conversations in our local communities about what our students really need and what is not written in the media is a powerful thing,” says Palanzi.
Politically engaged teacher David Palanzi
“Teachers and support professionals who work every day on behalf of our students have an immense amount of respect in the community. When you remind people what an impact politicians at all levels have on their schools and their children, it’s a game changer,” he says.
“It’s that light bulb moment when they hear you talking about politics and elections in real-world terms,” Palanzi adds.
There’s no question that the outcome of Election 2016 will have a tremendous impact on students and hard-working Americans. Now is the time to use campaign events and social media to demand that candidates be specific on issues that matter to educators and students.
Ask yourself: Are you tired of the culture of over-testing that has dominated the teaching and learning experience for more than a decade? Have you become exasperated that instead of investing in student programs, the federal government is providing tax breaks to the nation’s richest corporations?
Yes?
Then it’s time for you and everyone who cares about public education to make sure every presidential candidate talks about public education and other concerns of working families.
As part of the nation’s largest labor union, NEA members are a powerful voting bloc—one that is unrivaled by any other union, organization or association.
- NEA members live in every state, every congressional district, and every ZIP Code.
- In most states—including the early primary states of New Hampshire and Iowa and the battleground states of Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania—NEA is the largest labor union.
- NEA members are educated, involved and dependable voters, who consistently exercise their voting rights.
- In 2014, NEA members turned out at almost twice the rate of the general public.
- In the 2012 general presidential election, one out of every 58 votes was cast by an NEA member.
- In 2012, households with an NEA member cast one of every 32 votes, making NEA households 3 percent of the total votes cast.
- 77 percent of NEA’s members are women. Polls consistently show that in order to win, candidates must win this key constituency.
- NEA members are primarily rural and suburban voters—key swing populations in statewide elections.
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I am withdrawing my membership because of the hillaryband other endorsements.
As a teacher for 20 years, I have felt first-hand the intimidation of the local teacher’s union. The expectation is that you vote for the Democratic/Liberal candidate without question. The union reps tend to be strident, loud and closed to hearing anything but liberal/socialist propaganda. As a Conservative teacher, I dropped out of the union once I learned that my dues were filling the coffers of candidates who had views totally in opposition to mine. The rallying cry of the unions is that “It’s all about the children”. That is such a joke—–the union is all about gaining power in the political arena. I am so happy to finally not care about speaking my mind and my political preference and I am finding out how many others of my teacher professionals are of like mind. Speak out and don’t be afraid any longer!!!
When was the last time the NEA has supported a Republican candidate? I believe the answer is a month from NEVER! They say that they find the candidate that best supports their ideals, but they have NEVER supported a Republican. The NEA leadership is like small, cute, little sheep who obediently listen to their master (The Democrat Party) without question. Do we really need the NEA to endorse a candidate? Doesn’t everyone in the nation know exactly who they will support before the nomination process ever selects the candidates. Here are my predictions for the next 2 decades: The NEA will support the democrat nominee in 2016 AND in 2020 AND in 2024 AND in 2028 AND in 2032 AND 2036!
P.S. The Honorable “Democratic” Senator from Massachusetts Ted Kennedy worked hand-in-hand with President “W” Bush to clear the path for the No Child Left Behind Act.
Refreshing to read the comments….I , too , feel slighted by the nea/cta/Lea unions…..would it hurt to ASK us before endorsing any candidate?…..no, so why don’t they? As a Republican teacher, I’d appreciate it!!!
The NEA is not suggesting that there is a one size fits all on all issues. The NEA is just saying that teachers have the power to turn their profession around for the good of their own welfare, work environment and students if they choose to look at a candidate based solely on what they propose in regards to educational reform. Every candidate, Republican or Democrat, has views you may not agree with and it is your responsibility to pick which issues you are most passionate about and who will help support this vision for you as a voting citizen. NEA has the responsibility of representing its members based on the issue of education, and education alone, and they will continue to support the candidate who they believe will do that the best. If teachers were to prioritize the issue of education on their list of priorities when voting for the future of public education, they may very well compromise some beliefs on another issue, but it is left to the voter to decide what’s most worthy. If you are happy with NCLB and all it left behind with its creator, then go for a candidate that will continue this path. If you prefer a different path, it may take a different kind of candidate and you may want to look at what the people who have the job of researching candidates’ views on education have to say before making your own snap judgments. Dues dollars are used to support members directly and they are in no way allowed to use any of these dollars to support any political campaign. Any member who opts out for political reasons should get their facts straight and should say thanks to their colleagues for paying his/her portion of the contract benefits negotiated on his/her behalf.
I have been racking my brain to try and remember any recommended candidate by the nea that was not a liberal Democrat or an outright socialist. I know all my local education associations always recommended the liberal democrat in every election. The nea most certainly is suggesting that there is a one size fits all on all issues and that one size is liberal.
So, you are telling me that ZERO money goes to lobbyists? Because they are political, they are politics. And I think a lot of our money is spent on politics that I personally do not agree with….the NEA takes my money, yet doesn’t ask me who or what I support and then publish the findings. With the tech of today, I’m sure it would be no problem. And, As I said in my post, at least ask us, the teachers, not the UNION reps how they feel. IF 65% supported a certain candidate, then publish that…..but don’t use my name supporting a certain candidate or issue without even ASKING me!!!!
Really, I click on “Strong Public Schools” and I get vote for Hillary. NEA, you will never help education if all you care about is fulfilling your Liberal UnAmerican Agenda. Yea I am a teacher, but my boss is the principal not the union (Just lie in the real world). They often act as if they are in charge. Boggles my mind.
I think you do teachers a great disservice to basically lump them altogether like they all should be voting for the same person. All teachers have multiple dimensions to them and to suggest we should all be voting together as bloc is almost disrespectful to teachers.
I agree with Michael. Not all teachers agree collectively where either party or any one candidate has taken this country. And as a teacher it is irresponsible to use my position to persuade them to any one particular side or an issue. Important to use an appropriate opportunity to get students to think about the important issues and look for solutions themselves that resonate with their feelings and understanding. Unions take a hit for having a political agenda that does not always serve the people they are paid to represent. Like a country who leads in a direction that its people are not in a majority about supporting.
I totally agree! For my whole teaching career I’ve felt almost BULLIED by my own professional organization regarding how to vote, and I’m well and truly sick of it. I vote my conscience.
You are so right. The NEA of all people should know that we are all individuals and therefore should not be expected to vote as a block. We do not teach as a block, but to each child. Therefore expecting to follow what the organization picks for us is very insulting. We need to do what we see as best.
It is extremely obvious that the Republican party is working to dismantle not only teachers’ unions, but public education. Just read how they vote. It is almost entirely along party lines. If you are a teacher, and you are voting Republican, you are voting against your own profession. Period.
Why because Republican candidates actually want us to earn or pay and not tenure into it. Teachers need to work just as hard as everyday citizens and get paid for their effort, not on a scale that gives the same raise to poor teachers.
Actually I believe the opposite is true. A democratic vote is a vote against education and especially children. Not only do I feel “stuck” in the union I have always questioned how a group of professionals who love children could support the liberals who are fine with abortion. How is that logical? How do teachers support candidates who kill our commodity…children?
You are absolutely right Colleen! Republicans do want to change how teachers unions do business because they are so corrupt. Exorbitant benefit packages that states and cities in union states can not sustain (reasons for the economy woes today). Your statement about dismantling public education is incorrect though, we don’t want to dismantle it we want to change it and make it better. Here is an entity that every year, has millions of dollars thrown at it and we still complain about substandard education. I have friends that teach at the college and university level and they always ask “What are you sending us?” A good portion of our college bound students need too much remediation, just to handle lower level undergraduate courses. We are not voting against our own profession, we are voting against teacher incompetence, leadership incompetence, and the liberal herd mentality of just throw more money at the problems. We are voting for our STUDENTS, not some bureaucrat pushing an agenda to maintain the Status quo. Period.
Everyone has the right to vote in support of the candidate that they believe represents their views on the issues that mean the most to them.
As the elections near, hopefully the dust will settle and the divisive, disingenuous, and down right deceptive rhetorical sound bites will all be fact checked and argued to the point where the ability to hoodwink the populous will be neatly tucked away into a mere footnote, as it gives way to a clear picture of what is at stake.
If a candidate can educate a duped, disenfranchised populous about just what the heck hit them over the past 35 years, then rally a revolution behind a movement to promote policy that is in the best interest- “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” -as well as our nation as a whole, and not merely in the interest of the furtherance of moneyed interest, we may yet be able to unite and mobilize our nation back from the brink of the most catastrophic bursting of an economic bubble (I believe we’re on the verge of), since the Great Depression, we may yet save the day.
Of course, having said that, you can never underestimate a duped populous’ penchant for voicing strenuous opposition to any justice that is to be had on their and their nation’s behalf, thereby contributing greatly to their and their nation’s own demise.
When I started teaching in 1993, I joined the nea, vea (Virginia Educational Association, and cea (Chesapeake Educational Association. It only took me a couple of years to realize my dues were used to prop up a liberal agenda and political propaganda contrary to my beliefs. One of these fine days some political types will sit down and actually read the Constitution of The United states and will come to realize that Public Education is not mentioned in it. Public Education was to be left to the States. I left the nea and all the other so called supporters of Education in my third year of teaching. I refused to give my money to a group that actively denigrates conservatives and anyone else that believes in the Constitution.
As a Republican teacher, I can certainly appreciate what you say, Dean. I am involved in the NEA on my district level, but cannot support some of the candidates that the national organization supports (along with their liberal agenda).