TOPEKA – Today, multiple education advocacy groups announced their support for Governor Laura Kelly for re-election. Citing her willingness to work across the aisle to fully fund public schools, Game On For Kansas Schools, Education First Shawnee Mission, Kansas National Education Association (KNEA), Kansas American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and United Teachers of Wichita (UTW) threw their support behind Governor Kelly for re-election.
“We believe high-quality public education is a right for all Kansas students. That’s why we’re proud to add Governor Laura Kelly to our varsity roster and endorse her for re-election this fall,” Judith Deedy with Game On for Kansas Schools said. “Previous administrations refused to listen to parents and failed to protect Kansas public education. We’re fortunate to have an advocate for all of us in the Governor’s office under Laura Kelly’s leadership, and we look forward to continuing to advocate for public schools and the children they serve and engage our communities across the state.”
“Thanks to Governor Laura Kelly, our education system is back on track,” Education First Shawnee Mission Chair Jenifer Boles said. “Just a few years ago, our public schools were chronically underfunded and our children were suffering the consequences. Now, we’ve fully funded schools, and our children are getting the world-class education they deserve. No one in Kansas wants to go backwards and Governor Kelly is the right choice to keep us moving forward on the path to success.”
“Governor Laura Kelly’s track record on education is unmatched. She’s gotten our public education system back on track after years of chronic underfunding and ended a decade of unnecessary litigation,” AFT-Kansas President Ronald Hobert said. “Now, under Governor Kelly, we’ve got fully funded public schools four years in a row, more affordable higher education opportunities, teachers that have the resources they need to succeed, and public employees that feel supported and empowered. Governor Kelly is supporting our educators and public servants across Kansas, and our state is better off because of her leadership.”
“Joining the Governor’s education team again this year brings us great pride because educators know that she is a true and steadfast champion of Kansas students and their educators. It is incredible to see how far Kansas’ public education system has come with Governor Kelly leading our state,” Sherri Schwanz, President of Kansas NEA said. “Governor Kelly has served Kansas students, teachers, and families to deliver public schools that we can be proud of. After nearly a decade lost to Sam Brownback’s policies to cut and gut public schools, Governor Kelly has restored public education so that our neighborhood schools have returned to being the source of great pride in every Kansas community.”
“We are so thrilled to support Governor Laura Kelly – the Education Governor – for re-election this November,” Brent Lewis, President of the United Teachers of Wichita said. “Governor Kelly has worked across the aisle to deliver for our students and teachers, reinvesting in public education after years of leaders who failed us. While we’re advocating for improving our profession and for our students, it’s great to know we have an ally in the Governor’s office working alongside us, not against us. We’re thrilled to support Governor Kelly for re-election, and look forward to continuing our working relationship with her in her second term.”
Governor Kelly’s campaign continues to build momentum earning broad support from every corner of Kansas, including over 125 current and former Kansas educators, former RNC Committeewoman Alicia Salisbury, former Republican Attorney General Robert Stephan, former Republican Representative Jan Kessinger, former Republican Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, over 160 other Kansas Republicans, the Kansas Carpenters Union, Equality Kansas, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union of Kansas, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Union of Kansas, over 60 Kansas small business owners, the Kansas Service Employees International Union, the Kansas City Pipe Fitters Local 533 Union, the Kansas AFL-CIO, Kansas Laborers’ Local 1290, and End Citizens United & Let America Vote, The Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, the Wichita / Hutchinson Labor Federation, the Ironworkers Local 10 Union, the Roofers Local 10 Union, Education First Shawnee Mission, and over 50 Kansas ranchers and farmers.
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