Welcome to Election 2008
Campaign 2008 in Full Swing
NEA weighs in on candidates
Now that it is clear who the two front-runners for the upcoming presidential election are, it has been announced that Senator Barack Obama has received the prestigious NEA endorsement.
The NEA made the recommendation to the delegates after carefully looking at where the candidates stand on key education issues. The recommendation was made solely on the issues and answers to candidate questionnaires and not on party affiliation. In fact, Senator John McCain, along with all the other candidates, was invited to complete a questionnaire and he declined. Doing so eliminated him from the endorsement process.
Click here for a comprehensive side by side look at the candidates and their positions. For Sen. Obama's views on education click here.
Obama Addresses NEA Members
Senator Barack Obama sent a letter to NEA President Reg Weaver for the 3.2-million members of the NEA. In his letter he presents his goals regarding education as well as extends his appreciation for all the hard work members do throughout the year.
Click here to the view the letter in its entirety.
Senator John McCain’s Voting Record At-a-Glance
Read about his practices now
With efforts to deliver a balanced look at the candidates, as a bipartisan organization, we have posted a document that reveals Senator John McCain’s voting record on education issues. Please click here to look at the voting record on key issues that impact you and your profession.
Did You Know?
Did you know that only delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly can recommend a presidential candidate for the general election?
Here’s how the NEA’s presidential election recommendation process works:
- All candidates are invited to complete a candidate questionnaire. Candidates’ responses on the questionnaire are made available to all NEA members. Candidates who choose not to fill out a questionnaire are not eligible for endorsement.
- The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education Council reviews the questionnaires and votes to recommend a candidate to the RA Delegates.
- The recommendation of the NEA Fund Council is sent to the NEA Board of Directors for concurrence.
- The delegates at RA have the final word. They vote by secret ballot at the RA, or by mail ballot if the vote is conducted after RA, to concur or not concur with that recommendation.
2008 Presidential Candidates Speak on Issues
Online video shows McCain, Clinton and Obama (D-IL) addressing three of the nation's most important issues: the economy, health care and education.
National Party Platforms on Education
For more information on your parties platform on education issues check out the following links:
2004 Democratic party platform
2004 Republican party platform
What does the election mean for the reauthorization of NCLB?
Becoming involved in the state’s presidential election gives you the opportunity to discuss the issues most important to students and the teaching profession.
With the No Child Left Behind Act up for reauthorization this year, this election gives voters, including educators, a chance to lobby all candidates to publicly support the positive changes proposed by the National Education Association.
Here’s what NEA has recommended:
- Use of more than test scores to measure student learning and school performance, which includes multiple measures of student learning and school effectiveness instead of the current one-day snapshot based solely on standardized tests.
- Reduce class size to help students learn. Through the reauthorization, there is an opportunity to restore the class size reduction program.
- Increase the number of highly qualified teachers in Nevada public schools by providing financial incentives to teachers who teach in hard-to-staff schools; deem all teachers who have achieved certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as “highly qualified;” and provide flexibility for teachers of multiple subjects, including special education and rural educators.
