Educators for Dalton Launched

Press Release

Today at the North Carolina Association of Educators Summer Leaders Conference in Greensboro, Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton, the Democratic nominee for Governor, launched a new effort to rally educators around his candidacy. Educators for Dalton, a statewide group, will spread Dalton's message of the importance of public education and bring to light Pat McCrory and his allies' attack on our schools.

"This election is not about political party, it's about the future of North Carolina and the education of our children," Dalton said.

"The choice is clear: do you want a rubber stamp that would approve of disrespect for teachers, larger class size, lower pay, lower performance and would give us a dismal future?" Dalton continued. "Or, do you want a governor that will respect and appreciate the great job that you do, that will have a goal of raising teacher pay to the national average and beyond, a governor who will have the determination to lower class size and a governor that believes that in North Carolina we can achieve great things?"

Sheri Strickland, former President of the North Carolina Association of Educators, will chair Educators for Dalton.

The Educators for Dalton website iswww.educatorsfordalton.com .

"Walter Dalton created the state's early college system, led efforts to decrease classroom sizes, and worked to give teachers the largest pay raise in a generation," Strickland said. "Walter has stood up for our children and teachers, and it's time we stand up for him."

"The stakes are too high in this election. If we don't work to elect Walter Dalton, Pat McCrory will push an agenda to erode nearly $1 billion from our schools through vouchers and privatization, and he'll rubber stamp the Republican legislature's continued cuts to our classrooms," Strickland concluded.

Charter members of Educators for Dalton will provide leadership to the Dalton campaign's education outreach.

They include:

Sheri Strickland, NCAE Past President
Rodney Ellis, Current NCAE President
Mark Jewell, NCAE Vice President
John Hoffman, NC Retired School Personnel president
Donald Barringer, North Carolina Central University
Tripp Jeffers, Forsyth
Beth Edwards, Pitt
Brian Freeman, Cumberland
Kim Hargett, Union
Liz Witten, Craven
Liz Foster, Guilford
Tripp Jeffers, Forsyth
Guinnell Hunter (retired teacher), Clay
Kristy Moore, Durham
Laura Prince, Onslow
Jameel Williams (teacher assistant), Vance
Larry Nilles, Wake
Ann Petitjean, Forsyth
Mary Robinson, Pitt
Rich Nixon, Johnston
Emma Marie Alston, Alamance/Burlington
KathyCanuette, Lenoir
Sharon Lowery, Rutherford

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