Minnesota’s 70,000 educators back Al Franken
01/18/2008
State's largest labor union, Education Minnesota, recommends Al Franken for SenateSAINT PAUL [1/16/08] - The Al Franken for Senate campaign is thrilled to announce that Education Minnesota, representing 70,000 educators around the state, has recommended Al. The recommendation also means the formal endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers' (AFT) Committee on Public Education, as well as the National Education Association's (NEA) Fund for Children and Public Education.
All four DFL candidates for the U.S. Senate screened with Education Minnesota, as did Senator Norm Coleman. In a statement, Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher said:
"Franken's strong support of public education and educators and his strong campaign make him the best candidate for the job. Our members were highly impressed with Al Franken's grasp of the issues and his commitment to meaningful change, including an overhaul of the No Child Left Behind Act and full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. Al will be a champion for students, educators and public schools."
Al thanked Education Minnesota for its recommendation, saying:
"It is an honor to have Education Minnesota and its 70,000 members as partners in this campaign, and it will be an honor to have them as partners when I'm fighting for great public schools in the Senate. I've met many teachers during this campaign, and just as each one inspires the next generation of Americans to excel, each one has inspired me to work hard to effect real change in Washington. We need to revamp or replace No Child Left Behind, end unfunded mandates, ensure that every American child has a great public school to attend, and treat our education professionals as just that professionals. That's exactly what we'll do together."
For a complete list of endorsements, including labor unions, progressive organizations, and elected officials, please visit: http://www.alfranken.com/endorsements
For a hi-res headshot of Al, click here:
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