Fellow MEA members,
I’ve just left an event in Macomb County where we announced that Gretchen Whitmer is MEA’s recommended candidate for Governor! (Check out MEA’s Facebook page for photos and other coverage of the event!)
It’s fitting that we made this announcement on a day honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – someone who shared our values about social justice, the importance of a strong labor movement so workers can make their voices heard, and, especially, a quality public education for every student, regardless of their race, their gender, their income or their background.
I know Gretchen Whitmer is someone who shares those same values – and that’s why she’s our choice to be Michigan’s next governor.
Gretchen Whitmer has been on the front lines fighting for Michigan’s students and educators. As Senate Democratic Leader:
- She took on leaders from both parties when they tried to take money out of the School Aid Fund that was meant for educating our kids.
- She introduced the groundbreaking Michigan 2020 plan, which would have given every Michigan high school graduate the opportunity to attend college debt-free.
- She fought efforts to take away the voice of educators in their working environments – which are our students’ learning environments.
- And, from her initial vote against the bill that took money from our paychecks to her advocacy for our legal case ever since, she’s been with us every step of the way regarding our recent victory in the 3% case.
Gretchen is the leader Michigan’s students and educators need. Right now, we have policymakers in Lansing who routinely make decisions about public schools without consulting the experts on the front lines – YOU! And in Washington, we have a Secretary of Education in Betsy DeVos who has made undermining public education her life’s work.
As Governor, Gretchen Whitmer will value the input of the educators who spend every day preparing our students for success. She will respect and support all school employees – instead of attacking and undermining us like we’ve seen for the past 8 years.
We came to this important decision because Gretchen is our strongest candidate to take back the governor’s office, defend Michigan from dangerous anti-education legislation, and help ensure that every student, regardless of zip code, gets a quality education that prepares them for a great job.
Over the past six months, MEA has made an unprecedented effort to ensure our members’ voices were part of this process, inviting candidates for governor – both Republicans and Democrats – to speak to members in a variety of different venues. At every step of the way, our members’ preference for and feedback about Gretchen was far and away the strongest of all the candidates.
The decision to recommend Gretchen was made by MEA members like you: teachers, education support professionals, higher education faculty and staff, and school retirees from across the state who are part of our Statewide Screening & Recommendation Committee. After interviewing candidates from both parties, they voted unanimously for MEA to recommend Gretchen Whitmer to our members in the governor’s race.
She has our full, unwavering support, and we’re proud to be in her corner – just as she’s been in ours throughout her career.
I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about Gretchen by visiting her website at www.gretchenwhitmer.com. Please join us at events in the coming months where you’ll be able to meet and hear from Gretchen in person. And don’t forget to contribute to MEA-PAC to ensure that Gretchen and other friends of public education have the resources to win in November.
As always, thank you for your membership in the MEA and what you do every day for the students of our great state.
In solidarity,
Paula Herbart
MEA President |
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