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Unlike the cold dreary day, the crowd in front of the capitol Saturday was enthusiastic and upbeat. Although the weather certainly affected the turnout, those attending were united in their belief that students, teachers and public school employees deserve better than what they are getting.
It was a banding together of associations – AFT, TCTA, ATPE, TSTA and NTTLB were all united in one voice saying, “We're here because we are professional educators who have dedicated our lives to public education and are here to notify our legislators that teachers will make a difference in the 2006 elections.
Some of the speakers were Jan Doerr, representing NTTLB, presidents of other state wide educator organizations, Donna Howard, the newest state representative elected from the Austin area and former school board member, and Carolyn Keeton Strayhorn who is a former teacher is running for governor. The speakers were faced with signs delivering the message, "teachers are awake!"
Ideally, this rally would have been the culmination of a state wide effort to awaken teachers, but like most grass roots efforts, those in attendance were representative of specific groups that have been addressed by the four member selfless founders of NTTLB.
These three teachers plus one husband (“Bo Camp,” who they call their cheerleader, but readily admit he is the impetus behind the organization) are available to help get your area informed and energized.
As you can tell from the pictures, this rally was much like a high school “pep rally” for the football team leaving home to play for a state championship. There were times you could not hear the speakers for chants going on in the crowd: “Remember Mark White! Remember Mark White!". Strayhorn was greeted with constant screams and applause as she punctuated her statements with animated gestures while she shared her views of what a Strayhorn governorship would be like: "There will be no vouchers if I am Governor!"
Jan Doerr of No Texas Teacher left behind told the crowd, “it is said teachers cannot unite to achieve a common goal, yet we are here today united as one group to prove the politicians wrong. We are here to notify the Governor and legislators that educators will make a difference in the 2006 elections…we will never forget the ones who punitively denied educators better salaries and well deserved retirement benefits even as those government officials so easily enriched their own retirements and continued to receive free health insurance for themselves."
Doerr referred to the Donna Howard Victory as “a victory for all of us,” igniting roaring applause, whistles and chants from the audience.
I asked several to describe the mood. "Enthusiastic!" was the common response. I compliment the teachers who fought the very harsh elements to make a statement – that in itself was the loudest "voice" I heard. With the onset of a freezing cold front, it took a great deal of commitment to head out to Austin when the weather forecast promised freezing rain and ice for Saturday afternoon in many areas of the state – js – webmaster@texasisd.com
