Maureen Stapleton, Students and Teachers Thank You
UAW and Michigan Education Association officials withdrew their support (and lots of forced-dues dollars) from Democrat Representative Maureen Stapleton because she supported teacher tenure reforms, AND received kudos from the StudentsFirst organization for doing so.
Now Ms. Stapleton is suffering the slings and arrows from Big Labor for standing up for what’s right for students and teachers. Ms. Stapleton, the students and teachers thank you. Great job, StudentsFirst.
Ingrid Jacques has the story in the Detroit News:
National education reform organization StudentsFirst recently endorsed Stapleton for her support of bills last year reforming teacher tenure (she was one of very few Democrats to do so). A thumbs up from StudentsFirst is like cyanide for candidates hoping for union support.
Stapleton did the right thing in putting politics behind her and standing up for what’s best for the kids in Michigan. Now, she’s getting the cold shoulder from the UAW, which is likely standing in solidarity with the Michigan Education Association and other teachers unions that firmly opposed the tenure changes.
More from a press release from Andy Solon, Michigan director of StudentsFirst:
Misleading political attacks have no place in the 6th District race, and Rep. [Rashida] Tlaib and the UAW’s attacks on Democratic Rep. Maureen Stapleton’s commitment to improving public education are shameful and false. Rep. Stapleton is a former classroom teacher and union member. She’s worked with students in our schools and understands the challenges both now face and what needs to be done to help them.
It should ALWAYS be about the kids, not union boss power to control schools and force union membership.