Presidential Candidates

Monday, July 2, 2007

• Hillary Rodham Clinton - NY-D - Senator Clinton was welcomed with a boisterous standing ovation at 2:00PM. The 8,500+ delegates excitedly received her remarks. The senator spoke for approximately 30 minutes then answered selected questions from NEA Members. Her closing comment was, "Let's let education be all that it can be for the United States of America!"

• Senator John Edwards - NC-D - Former Senator Edwards arrived at 2:45PM with another rousing ovation. He pointed out that it is not schools that teach children, it is teachers that teach children. We need a president of the United States who actually listens to teachers. "I will bring back the Teachers in Residence program that George Bush abolished. We need to expand early childhood and expand funding so that every child in America has an equal chance to start kindergarten ready to learn. "Was NCLB an excuse to move away from public schools and to move to vouchers?" While speaking of his strong support for organized labor he shared, "If anyone can join the Republican Party by signing a card, then anyone in America ought to be able to join a union by signing a card."


• Senator Chris Dodd - CT-D - Senator Dodd received an enthusiastic welcome from the delegates at 3:30PM. With his very powerful voice he intoned his strong sense of support for unions and his disdain for the current administration. "I am proud that the NEA is the leading supporter of the legislation regarding my NCLB Reform Act." "I will fully fund NCLB first and foremost. Secondly it is time we have leadership that understands that test scores are not the only indication of student achievement. Learning is not only filling in the bubbles but it is about connecting the dots." "... why not have a system in place that helps our schools that are in need rather than condemning them." "Failure is not an option."

July 3

• Governor Bill Richardson - NM-D - I was unable to be present for this speaker.




• 
  

• 
  

• Congressman Dennis Kucinich - OH-D - I was unable to be present for this speaker.

July 5

• Senator Baraq Obama - IL-D - I struggled to get close enough to catch a few photos and through all this even managed to hear the senator's speech. He arrived around 11:00AM with another extremely warm reception from the NEA delegates. The senator spoke of his goals to strengthen public education and public educators.
  

• Governor Mike Huckabee - AR-R - Former Governor Huckabee arrived at 2:00PM. He is the first Republican presidential candidate to ever address an NEA RA. The governor received a warm welcome. The crowd seemed to greatly appreciate the risk that Gov. Huckabee has taken with his political opponents in addressing our group. No other Republican presidential candidate has ever accepted our invitation. He spoke very strongly of his admiration for teachers. He also addressed concerns that education programs be well rounded and integrated with the arts. It seemed rather obvious that his speech was tailored quite well to this audience but that's what politics is all about, isn't it?