ISEA

COMMUNIQUÉ A PUBLICATION OF THE IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION – FEBRUARY 2016 – Vol. 53, No. 4 IN THIS ISSUE: OPINION You Made it Your Caucus ESSA Need to Know MEMBERS AT WORK Going the extra mile 3 11 14 Set it... Set it... and forget it! and forget it! E-DUES AVAILABLE NOW! E-DUES AVAILABLE NOW! FOLLOW US ON: Iowa State Education Association members helped push former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to a victory in the Iowa Caucuses. The Clinton campaign courted Iowa's public education professionals by reaching out early for feedback as she developed her education policy. This move was exemplified in the tour by having senior policy advisor Ann O'Leary spend several days in the Hawkeye state meeting with ISEA members in five Iowa cities in addition to meeting with members at the ISEA Summer Conference and working with policy professionals at the state level. Her investment in time and effort paid off. ISEA members invited campaign workers into their homes, walked neighborhoods in sub-zero weather, made calls on their personal cell phones to friends, neighbors and strangers all on behalf of Clinton's campaign. "In Clinton, Iowa voters picked a proven leader who believes a child's chance of success should not depend on living in the right ZIP code, a leader who will make sure that educators have a seat at the table when decisions are made that affect students and schools. Educators in Iowa know this and they want to make sure that the rest of the country knows this, too," National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia said following Clinton's victory. Eskelsen Garcia spent a couple days in Iowa knocking on doors and phone banking on behalf of Clinton in the run up to the caucus. She wasn't the only one. National Education Association Executive Director John Stocks and members of the NEA Executive Committee spent traveled to Iowa in the weeks leading up to caucus night to phone bank, canvass and work to rally support for Clinton. They joined hundreds of other ISEA members who volunteered their time for Clinton's campaign, or the campaigns Bernie Sanders, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and other presidential candidates. "I've volunteered over the years for candidates here and there, but I never felt as strongly as I did this time," said Cindy Garlock, a retired biology teacher who spent the majority of her 32-year classroom career at Kennedy Middle School in Cedar Rapids. A Clinton supporter in 2008, Garlock got involved this time back in April. She said what impressed her most is how the campaign volunteers did more than just knock doors and make calls; they worked on urban gardens, helped build a Habitat for Humanity home and helped out at Indian Creek Nature Center, among other service projects. But they also did make calls and door knock. Phone banking "is not something I relish," Garlock said. "But I wanted to do everything I could to help the cause." The NEA's endorsement of Clinton in the primary was the first time in recent memory the national organization delved into a party's primary as part of the recommendation process. The NEA invited 24 candidates from the major political parties to participate in its recommendation process. Ultimately, the NEA made a recommendation in the Democratic Party contest and did not make a recommendation in the Republican contest. Candidate comparisons and responses can be found on the NEA elections web site, www.strongpublicschools.org. ISEA Members Push Clinton to Victory Halftime opening day of the 2015 football season and the Denison-Schleswig Monarchs are having a tough go of it at home against the rival Harlan Cyclones. But the butterflies fluttering inside sophomore Jonathan Ramos's gut at this moment have little to do with what's going on between the chalk lines. Building a community through music See BAND page 8 Denison Education Association member Ruben Newell starts something unique in Denison By the Numbers 36 out-of-state campaign workers housed at ISEA member homes 116 individual canvassing volunteers 436 canvass packets distributed 1,000-plus volunteers organized 7,497 member calls made 15, 260 voter contacts confirmed 25,000-plus doors knocked Denison High School Monarchs football player and mariachi band member Jonathan Ramos joins his band mates for a half time performance during a game versus the rival Harlan Cyclones last fall. It was the first time the mariachi band played in front of a football crowd. (photo submitted)

• Cover
• OPINION
• ESSA Needto Know
• MEMBERS AT WORK