Media Spotlight Lands on NEA’s ‘Speak Up’ Campaign
May 26, 2010 by cmccabe
Filed under Featured News, Jobs, Top Stories, Uncategorized
When thousands of supporters across the country speak up for education it’s bound to draw some attention. That’s what’s happening today with the kick-off of NEA’s Speak Up for Education & Kids campaign and call-in day. Here’s a round-up of related coverage and statements:
From The Washington Post:
“The National Education Association, the largest teachers union, said Wednesday it is funding television advertising in markets that are home to potential swing votes among House Democrats. The ad features children dressed in business suits pleading for a school bailout similar to what bankers received.”
From CNN Radio:
“Education Secretary Arne Duncan says President Obama ‘absolutely supports’ a congressional proposal for $23 billion in emergency education spending in order to stave off teacher layoffs and cancellation of summer classes. Duncan told CNN Wednesday that the emergency spending request is needed to head off ‘an education catastrophe,’ in which as many as 300,000 teachers across the country could be laid off.”
From EdWeek:
“The presidents of both national teachers’ unions joined key lawmakers and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan this morning on Capitol Hill to drum up support for the $23 billion edujobs legislation. Supporters of the bill say up to 300,000 jobs may be riding on congressional action.”
From Workers Independent News:
“With teachers nationwide facing an unprecedented crisis in impending layoffs from massive education budget cuts, Congress is considering a $23 billion education funding aid bill. National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel was on Capitol Hill Tuesday urging swift passage of the funding.”
From Daily Kos:
“So decrees the AP: ‘Democrats controlling the House are seeking to pad President Barack Obama’s war funding request with $23 billion to help school districts avoid teacher layoffs…’ But who’s “padding” whom, here?”
From Dow Jones News:
“Two powerful U.S. House committee chairmen said Wednesday they are hoping to add $23 billion to a $84.3 billion war funding bill to avert what they described as the coming layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers.”
From Politico:
“Education Secretary Arne Duncan came to the defense Wednesday of emergency funding to forestall public teacher layoffs, saying President Barack Obama is ‘unequivocal’ in his support of the initiative and White House Budget Director Peter Orszag ‘works for the president.’
From Milwaukee’s Journal Sentinel:
“Students are being packed into classrooms in which the teacher to student ratio is nearly 30 to 1. Cutting teachers will increase that ratio. Proposed teacher cuts are coming at a time when money is being thrown at the Pentagon for military hardware that Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he doesn’t want.”
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
“The White House and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have been lobbying for an additional $23 billion in aid to states, which would be used to prevent the layoffs of as many as 300,000 teachers nationwide — including thousands in Georgia. Duncan has called the layoffs, which would hit schools harder than at any time since the Great Depression, an “education catastrophe.”
From Capitol News Connection’s Power Breakfast:
“Today the Secretary of Education and top Democrats in the House hope to drum up support for a plan to funnel 23 billion dollars to prevent teacher layoffs. ”
From Chicago K-12 Examiner:
“Act locally, call long-distance toll-free. Yesterday about 5,000 parents, teachers, students, and other public school supporters shut down rush hour in the Loop to protest threatened Chicago school budget cuts. Today, the NEA is asking for our support for their Speak Up for Education and Kids Day.”
From blogger Shannon Penrod Speaks:
“If we are forced to put 35 children in a classroom, do we really think there is dollar savings? It seems more like mortgaging our children’s future than actually saving money.”
From ED.gov:
“On Wednesday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, Reps. Dave Obey (D-Wis.) and George Miller (D-Calif.) and AFT President Randi Weingarten in support of an education jobs bill to prevent dramatic and damaging cuts to resources and services that help kids succeed in school. At issue was the “Education Jobs Fund,” legislation that would provide $23 billion in emergency funding for education jobs.”
From Committee on Education and Labor:
“Sadly, budget cuts across the country have threatened the jobs of hundreds of thousands of our teachers, guidance counselors, principals, cafeteria workers, librarians and more. These job losses are devastating for students and our communities. We can’t allow a child’s education to become a casualty of what is happening in our economy.”
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