Members Make It Official; NCAE Completes Recommendation Process for Endorsement of Cal Cunningham for U. S. Senate

RALEIGH, N.C., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- NCAE has officially endorsed candidate Cal Cunningham for the U. S. Senate. "The announcement was made earlier in the year," explains NCAE President Sheri Strickland, "that our Government Relations Commission (GRC) recommended Cunningham for endorsement, but the NCAE process requires an every-member vote to make it official."

The Association tallied member votes this week, and reports that members concurred with the GRC  recommendation 18-1 in favor of Cunningham. "We know we made the right decision, when 83 percent of our members agreed with the selection of Cunningham," Strickland said.

NCAE will now seek approval of the endorsement by its parent organization, the National Education Association (NEA). "We are certain we will get the support of NEA," Strickland said.  "We just have to follow their policies and procedures for the next step in this full endorsement process. NEA also has a governance body that will review the candidate and make a decision on financial support."

Strickland describes the endorsement of Cunningham as the right decision for public education. "Cal Cunningham is clearly the candidate who will fight for public education in North Carolina as a U.S. Senator. Cal not only trusts North Carolina educators on education issues, he trusts North Carolina educators to prepare our children for the 21st century. With ESEA reauthorization, Race to the Top and school privatization all being considered by policy-makers in Washington, D.C., we need Cal Cunningham more than ever."

Strickland added that the members of NCAE will work hard during the election season to help a pro-public education candidate like Cunningham get elected.

NCAE is the state's largest education association, representing nearly 60,000 active, retired and student members.

SOURCE North Carolina Association of Educators