"Senator wows NYSUT delegates." May 25, 2006. New York Teacher.

Senator wows NYSUT delegates

May 25, 2006

Kids for Clinton

sen. hillary rodham clinton at a rope line with 12-year-old marianne walters

Following her speech, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was mobbed at a rope line, signing everything from placards to T-shirts. In the throng, she made time to visit with 12-year-old Marianne Walters, who was at the RA with her father, K.J. Walters, a member of the Rockland Community College Adjunct Faculty Association.

Marianne met former President Bill Clinton five years ago at the last NYSUT RA in Rochester, and she said she had the same message for both Clintons — she wants to be president some day. Marianne said both Clintons stressed a good education.

Advancing public education will take a unified voice and commitment to student safety, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a speech to RA delegates that included several standing ovations.

In her address to 3,000 cheering delegates and visitors, Sen. Clinton expressed frustration with misplaced priorities on education in Washington, and pledged to continue fighting for full funding for No Child Left Behind.

Clinton railed against cuts to education and health care in President Bush's proposed budget — including a $2.6 billion cut in education funding that she said is the largest in the history of the Department of Education.

Tammie Salvione, a high school counselor and member of the Webster Teachers Association, said she was particularly struck "that President Bush is not funding NCLB after he promised he would. We don't have the resources sometimes to let students successfully reach their goals."

Clinton said a partnership among educators, parents and communities is key to improving education nationwide and preparing students to compete in an increasingly global economy.

She praised NYSUT and the National Education Association of New York for unifying and improving the influence of union members statewide.

"I think it's important that we all have a unified voice, because, boy, do we need a unified voice," Clinton said. "We need to stand up and be heard in Washington."

Some members of the Professional Staff Congress, NYSUT's affiliate representing City University of New York faculty and professionals, and others held up signs during Clinton's speech demanding that the U.S. remove troops from Iraq. Clinton said eliminating dependency on oil from unstable foreign countries needs to be a priority.