Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1511993
AT THE CAPITOL 7 WINTER 2023 | ADVOCATE AEA Takes On Anti-Education Members of Congress Do you work at a Title I school? If so, three of Arizona's Congressional representatives recently voted for huge funding cuts for you and your students. at's right: on September 29, 198 members of Congress, all of them Republicans, voted for a bill that would have cut funding for Title I schools by more than 40%. Title I schools are those that have a significant share of students living in poverty. Title I funding pays for classroom supplies, educator salaries, summer and aer-school programs, and more. Without it, many schools would need to cancel programs and lay off staff. If H.R. 5525 had become law, as many as 150,000 educators nationwide would have lost their jobs, including thousands right here in Arizona. As a union, we're fighting back. We've officially endorsed Kirsten Engel and Marlene Galán-Woods as candidates for Congress. Engel is running to challenge Juan Ciscomani, while Marlene Galán-Woods is running to challenge David Schweikert. Both Ciscomani and Schweikert voted for September's continuing resolution. at came as no surprise; both have spent years campaigning against public education and voting against the interests of educators and our students. Schweikert and Ciscomani are deeply out of step with voters in their districts. In fact, they are among the Congressional incumbents most at risk of losing their seats in the November 2024 election, according to an analysis from e Cook Political Report. Given how close the races are likely to be, our organizing efforts could make all the difference. Engel is a law professor and former state legislator who first entered politics because she was frustrated by the chronic underfunding of her daughter's school. She is running to represent Arizona's Sixth Congressional District, which includes Oro Valley, Marana, and Vail, Eloy, parts of Casa Grande, most of Cochise County and all of Greenlee County. Galán-Woods spent 20 years as a broadcast journalist. A mother of five, she helped lead and found a variety of arts and enrichment programs for kids, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley and the Phoenix Children's Museum. Her late husband, Grant Woods, served as Arizona's Attorney General from 1991 to 1999. She is running to represent Arizona's First Congressional District, which includes Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills and Cave Creek. ese elections are winnable, but only if we work together. Start spreading the word — and get ready to join us in knocking some doors next fall! We're also proud to have endorsed Raquel Terán for Congressional District 3, Greg Stanton for Congressional District 4, and Ruben Gallego for US Senate. Look for more information about each of them in a future edition of the AEA Advocate! ENDORSED ANTI-EDUCATION ANTI-EDUCATION ENDORSED ANTI-EDUCATION ANTI-EDUCATION Kirsten Engel Marlene Galán-Woods ENDORSED ANTI-EDUCATION ANTI-EDUCATION Juan Ciscomani ENDORSED ANTI-EDUCATION ANTI-EDUCATION David Schweikert