Huffington Post: Teachers Union Leader Weighs In On Democratic Contenders For President

[Omaha Steve]

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/nea-2016-election_n_7616232.html

Former Governor Martin O'Malley meets with National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García on Monday. Photo: National Education Association.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/nea-2016-election_n_7616232.html

Rebecca Klein Posted: 06/18/2015 8:02 pm EDT

The country's largest teachers union isn't ready to pass judgment on its favorite presidential candidates -- but the process of making contenders work for the union's blessing is well underway.

After meeting with three out of four democratic presidential candidates, Lily Eskelen García, the president of the National Education Association, "absolutely" thinks education issues will play a major role in the upcoming election.


Senator Bernie Sanders meets with National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García on Monday. Photo: National Education Association.


"Because so much of education policy -- more than any other time in our history -- has come from the federal government in the last two administrations, it is going to be a question that’s on the table: what are you going to do to improve teaching and learning?" García told The Huffington Post Thursday after meeting with presidential contenders Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders.

García separately interviewed the former Maryland governor and the current Vermont senator Thursday as part of the NEA's endorsement process for the 2016 presidential election. Last week, she interviewed Hillary Clinton. The full videotaped interviews, which will eventually be made available to all NEA members, are supposed to help the organization decide who they should support.

FULL story at link.