By Catherine Cuellar, KERA 90.1 Reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-500533.mp3
Dallas, TX –
[sound: "Respect" by Aretha Franklin]
Catherine Cuellar, 90.1 reporter: About 900 teachers filled the Terrell High School auditorium for a recent rally by the grassroots group "No Texas Teacher Left Behind." They clapped and danced to the music of Aretha Franklin, then Marsha Johnson from the Kaufman ISD called the rowdy group to attention.
Marsha Johnson, No Texas Teacher Left Behind: I can probably guess who's here from Kaufmann tonight looking for respect. Great, what about Terrell? Are there any Terrell people here looking for respect? Forney, Crandall and Kemp, are you here tonight? We're glad to have you. What about Scurry and Maybank? [fade under]
Cuellar: The first hour of the program was dominated by a 40-minute stump speech from the state's Republican comptroller, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who is running as an independent candidate for governor.
Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller and gubernatorial candidate: I have a lot of firsts in my life. I was the first woman president of the Austin school board, first woman mayor of Austin, first woman elected railroad commissioner, first woman elected Texas Comptroller, but what I'm most proud of, First I was a public school teacher. [cheers]
[auditorium lobby sound]
Cuellar: The Durham family traveled from Lufkin to hear Strayhorn and other candidates. They are also selling "No Texas Teacher Left Behind" t-shirts.
[sound of Ronnie Durham and Patsy Durham unpacking shirts]
Cuellar: Patsy is a fourth grade teacher approaching retirement. She and her husband Ronnie Pat have worked in public education for 37 years. Their three grown children are also teachers, and their grandchildren are enrolled in public schools. This is the first time Patsy has ever been involved in a political movement.
Patsy Durham: I think Texas teachers can unite and that we can have a voice. Our needs are just to have representatives that are interested in teachers and taking care of our schools and students so that we as teachers can take care of our students.
Cuellar: Ronnie Pat resigned as superintendent of Oakwood schools last year, and wanted to keep working as a coach.
Ronnie Pat Durham: But I was denied that in Texas because of the penalty that a district was going to have to pay regarding me. I called and they said Mr. Durham are you a retired rehire candidate. I said yes I am. Sorry, we can't talk to you. Therefore, we nearly went to work in Louisiana because there's no such penalty.
Cuellar: Strayhorn addressed this concern, and the shortage of qualified teachers, during the rally.
Strayhorn: Rick Perry is making it punitive to hire those most qualified to come back and help in the classrooms, that's our teachers. The first people sitting right beside me at the table in a Strayhorn education plan and a Strayhorn administration will be educators.
Cuellar: No Texas Teacher Left Behind supporters are currently using the Texas Federation of Teachers union website to e-mail their legislators. But TFT is waiting until after the primary to endorse a gubernatorial candidate. Strayhorn has picked up an endorsement from another union, the Texas State Teachers Association, affiliated with the National Education Association. Unlike professional associations do not endorse candidates, unions allow educators to get involved politically. But the unions have been historically Democratic organizations. That's changing, according to NEA-Dallas president Dale Kaiser.
Dale Kaiser, President, NEA-Dallas: Because we have done things this year that traditionally TSTA has never done. We have endorsed Republican candidates. And some people give us a little bit of grief, but as I've told the membership of Dallas and our state president has told our statewide membership, this is no longer about whether you're a Democrat or Republican. This is about, do you believe in public education and doing the things that are needed to further public education instead of seeming hell bent on destroying public education.
Cuellar: Not all TSTA members are breaking with tradition. DISD teacher and NEA-Dallas board member Diane Birdwell is working in support of candidates from the Democratic party.
Diane Birdwell, DISD teacher and NEA-Dallas board member: I'm a very conservative person in some ways. I'm ex-military. I was an Army officer. But I also believe the Democratic party just matches my feelings. Now do I agree with the Democratic party on every issue? No. But when it comes to education it is the closest party to what I see going on in the classroom, what needs to happen.
Cuellar: NEA Dallas is focusing on one race in the Republican primary. They've endorsed UT-Arlington professor Diane Patrick over District 94 incumbent Kent Grusendorf of Arlington, who currently chairs the house education committee. Their endorsement of Strayhorn is also a priority, but it's tricky. She needs 45,000 signatures to get on the ballot. But under state law, people who vote in the primary can't sign petitions for independent candidates. Kaiser says local elections come first.
Kaiser: What we have recommended is, in races where we endorsed candidates in primary races, that our members and their families go ahead and vote in those primary races. Because Ms. Strayhorn will have enough people that either have not voted or they're very committed to her and seeing her get on the ballot. Our members' voices are needed more in the primary. So she will still be able to get enough signatures to get on the ballot in November without our members giving up that important vote in the primary.
Cuellar: Republicans in power have been dismissive of what some call the "teacher lobby. Instead, they emphasize standardized testing, vouchers, and reduction of property taxes. In Arlington last week, Texas Speaker of the House Tom Craddick reaffirmed his support for current leadership.
Tom Craddick, Texas Speaker of the House: I'm backing the incumbents and I'm definitely backing Kent Grusendorf. He's done a phenomenal job pulling people together in the House in getting reforms done, and that's the key.
Cuellar: The GOP powers that be still need to reform the state's unconstitutional system of funding public schools. Governor Perry is expected to call a special session after the primary, at the same time his independent challengers will be collecting signatures to get on the ballot. The impact or irrelevance of the union's support this year remains to be seen. But in 2002 and 2004, more than 80% of the candidates the TSTA recommended were elected.
For KERA 90.1, I'm Catherine Cuellar
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