Education

Reporter’s Notebook

September 21, 2004 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Democratic National Convention

Read all our convention coverage.

Audio Extras:

  • Education Week editor Mark Walsh reports on Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s appearance at an early childhood education forum. (2:27) Windows Media format | MP3 format
Web Extra!

Buttoning Up

The national political conventions are a time for delegates and other partisans to wear their politics on their sleeves-or on their lapels and shirts. So political buttons are in demand among educators at the Democrats’ gathering here.

At the Sheraton Boston hotel on Sunday, July 25, a large political-memorabilia booth was set up outside the ballroom where the National Education Association was holding its caucus for delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

There were all manner of buttons, such as “NEA Supports Kerry-Edwards,” “AFT [American Federation of Teachers] Supports John Kerry,” and “Teachers for Kerry-Edwards.”

At the Sheraton, which is home to the labor-friendly Ohio delegation, the booth also offered these buttons:

  • “UAW [United Auto Workers] Supports Kerry-Edwards”
  • “Teamsters Support Kerry”
  • “Mineworkers Support Kerry”
  • “Political Wonks for Kerry-Edwards”
  • “Former Hippies for Kerry-Edwards”
  • “Actors for Kerry-Edwards”
  • “Elvis Impersonators for Kerry-Edwards”
Democratic National Convention

Read all our convention coverage.

Audio Extras:

  • Education Week editor Mark Walsh reports on Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s appearance at an early childhood education forum. (2:27) Windows Media format | MP3 format

One button at the booth alludes to an education topic that has gotten much attention in politics, especially from the NEA: the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The ambitious, bipartisan school-accountability measure is a top accomplishment of President Bush, but the NEA has lashed out against it for its sanctions on schools deemed in need of improvement and for what the union says is the administration’s failure to fully fund it.

The button says “Leave No Child a Dime,” with a picture of a 10-cent piece.

Just what message the button was trying to convey about the No Child Left Behind law or any other federal policy was a source for puzzlement among some who looked it over.

Princess Moss, a teacher from Louisa, Va., and the incoming president of the Virginia Education Association, said, “My interpretation is that No Child Left Behind is mandated, but there’s no funding for it.”

Others weren’t so sure, with one visitor saying she thought “Leave No Child a Dime” probably referred to what she viewed as the Republican administration’s failure to deal with the problems of the Social Security system.

Ms. Moss said she has also seen a button that says “Leave No Child Untested,” a reference to the major increase in assessment brought about by the law.

After carefully picking through the several hundred button choices at the booth, she passed up the “Leave No Child a Dime” one and others for a button with a W and a red slash symbol across it. That button’s message was unmistakable.

“I like this; it’s simple,” Ms. Moss said. “I don’t do long messages.”

-Mark Walsh

All in the Family

Kelly McMahon, a kindergarten teacher from Milwaukee, Wis., was pretty busy over her winter break this past school year. Like many people, she headed home for the holidays, to Iowa.

But she didn’t exactly kick back for two weeks. The 25-year-old volunteered for the John Edwards for President campaign, knocking on doors and working phone banks in her home state.

Of course, things didn’t exactly work out as she had hoped for the North Carolina senator. He finished second in the Iowa caucuses before eventually dropping out of the race.

“I was disappointed,” she said. “However, I’m very glad that John Kerry put him on the ticket.”

Asked why she volunteered for Mr. Edwards, she said: “The number one reason was he’s such a strong believer in public education.”

Not surprisingly, this week she’s most looking forward to John Edwards’ speech the evening of July 28, the third night of the convention.

“He’s so optimistic and positive,” she said. “I really like that.”

Ms. McMahon is a first-time delegate, and is also the first one in her family. Ms. McMahon is the 13th of 14 children. Five of them are teachers and two others hold teaching degrees.

Besides returning for her third year of teaching this fall and attending graduate school part time, she’ll be helping out the Kerry-Edwards campaign, though she admits that she’d rather the ticket were flipped.

Meanwhile, she’ll also carve out some time for another campaign, back in Iowa.

“My brother Mike, who is a teacher ... is running for a state representative seat,” she said.

-Erik W. Robelen

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz News Quiz: Feb. 6, 2025: Reading Scores | Curriculum | Trump 'Indoctrination' Order | and More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of books on a shelf.
Illustration by Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
Education Briefly Stated: February 5, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz News Quiz: Jan. 30, 2025: Interim Ed. Dept. Leader | Navigating Immigration Policies | Teacher Evaluations | And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
Al Drago/AP
Education Briefly Stated: January 29, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read