Musician Steven Van Zandt offers professional development for teachers

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Musician and actor Steven Van Zandt is currently touring the country with his rock band to conduct professional development workshops that promote the use of music in classrooms and show solidarity with teachers. Van Zandt is a member of Bruce Springsteen’s celebrated E Street Band, and he has also performed roles in the HBO television show The Sopranos.

Van Zandt sees says he is concerned about budget cuts that eliminate funding for arts programs in schools. In addition, he says educators are under-appreciated, and he wants to show his support for the teaching profession.

The band will visit nearly 30 cities,including several states where teacher protests were widespread during the recent election cycle. At each stop, the accomplished musician and his band will offer teachers the opportunity to attend a professional-development workshop about integrating the arts into lesson plans for their subject area. In addition, the teachers will receive a curriculum they can use in their classrooms. Finally, they will get free tickets to a concert by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul.

To learn more about Van Zandt’s unique workshop, see the video below:

Many educators elected to political office in mid-term elections

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A record number of educators ran for political office in the mid-term elections this year, according to an article published online by Education Week (originally published July 17, 2018; updated Nov. 8, 2018). At least 177 teachers, retired teachers, and administrators nationwide threw their hats into the political ring. Of these candidates, at least 42 were elected to the offices they sought on election day on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Many of these educators mounted political campaigns as a result of teacher activism in states where school funding and teacher pay are hotly-contested issues. Of the 177 candidates, a whopping 67 of them were from Oklahoma and 20 of them were from Kentucky. The states of Arizona, West Virginia, and Colorado also saw an uptick in teacher candidates.

“Educators are already leaders in their communities and are often the first to respond to challenges and opportunities faced by their students and families,” commented Carrie Pugh, Political Director of the National Education Association. “In many cases, educators are running after seeing years of legislative neglect and the chronic underfunding of public education,” she continued. “Educators now are demanding more for their students. They are taking matters into their own hands and running for office. They are ready to step up for their students, their communities, and public education,” she concluded.

To view a list of the individual candidates, click on this link: www.edweek.org.

Record number of educators hope to be elected today

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This year, a record number of educators are hoping to be elected to public office in today’s mid-term elections, according to an article published online by Education Week on July 17, 2018. At least 167 teachers, retired teachers, and administrators nationwide threw their hats into the political ring this year. Of these, 40 won their primaries, and 64 ran unopposed.

Educators are typically the most civic-minded individuals in any community, and many of those who have run for public office say their motivation for getting involved in politics sprang from a desire to make a significant positive impact on their communities. Many of these campaigns resulted from teacher activism in states where school funding and teacher pay are hotly-contested issues. For example, of the 167 educators who originally mounted campaigns, a whopping 67 of them made bids for public office in the state of Oklahoma and 20 mounted campaigns in Kentucky. Arizona, Colorado, and West Virginia have also seen an uptick in teacher candidates.

“We’ve got plenty of business people, we have plenty of rich people, we have plenty of lawyers,” pointed out Lily Eskelsen Garcia, President of the National Education Association. “Why not have somebody with that common-sense community grounding that a school teacher would have?”

To view the entire article, see www.educationweek.org. To view a list of educators running for public office compiled by Education Week, click on the link Teachers Running for Public Office.

And don’t forget to VOTE today!

 

Susan Rubio: Educator and candidate for California State Senate

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Susan Rubio

Susan Rubio: Educator and candidate for California State Senate

This year a record number of educators are mounting campaigns for public office. One of these is Susan Rubio, a fourth grade teacher from Baldwin Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. After winning her primary, Susan, a Democrat, is running to represent District 22 in the California State Senate.

Susan was born in Juarez, Mexico. Her parents were immigrants to the United States; her father came to Texas through the Bracero program, working as a farmer. After the program was discontinued, the Rubio family settled in California. While she was growing up, Susan says, her parents taught her the importance of hard work and determination.

Susan is the product of public schools. After her graduation from high school, she attended Azusa Pacific University. There she earned a Master’s degree in Education and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. During her college years she worked as a bookkeeper doing payroll and taxes for a private company. After earning her degree, the neophyte teacher inaugurated her 17-year career as an educator. Currently she is a fourth grade teacher at Broadoaks Elementary School in the Monrovia Unified School District.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Susan has experience as a public servant. She was first elected to represent the city of Baldwin Park as their City Clerk. In 2009, she was selected to be a Council Member for the city, where she helped balance the city budget during the recession. In addition, Susan has a long record of volunteerism and partnership with local non-profits, providing mentorships and college scholarships for local students.

Susan can claim two decades of experience as a community leader, classroom teacher, and public servant. She also describes herself as “a lifelong champion for children, working families, economic justice, and the environment.”

You can learn more about Susan Rubio at her campaign website at the following link:  www.susanrubio.com.