PRESS RELEASE from Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2007

Contact: Nevada Press Office

Clinton Campaign Announces Nevada Educators Leadership Council

Leaders Agree: Hillary Will Bring the Change We Need to a Troubled Education System

On a media teleconference today, Clinton Nevada Chair Rory Reid announced the formation of the Nevada Educators Leadership Council, a group of prominent educators and active members of the education community endorsing Clinton’s bid for the presidency. Two of the founding council members, former Clark County School District Superintendent Brian Cram and former State Superintendent of Schools Eugene Paslov, joined Reid for the announcement.  The council will advise the campaign and lead efforts to mobilize support among educators for the January 19 caucus.

“Senator Clinton has earned my support through her decades of action on behalf of children,” said council member Sarah Mersereau-Adler, Carson High School English teacher. “By declaring it takes a whole village to raise a child, she understands that to learn, children must be healthy - and she will provide health care for all of them and their families. She knows that to want to learn, children need to feel they have a future, and she has responded with her Youth Opportunity Agenda, which begins with early childhood education. Senator Clinton values the commitment we educators have made to children, and she also understands the challenges we face with growing school populations and cramped facilities. As an author of the Transition to Teaching Program and School Leadership Program, Hillary has fought to recruit and train excellent teachers for Nevada and the Nation. Hillary Clinton’s tireless work to improve our nation’s school systems solidifies my support for her bid for the presidency.”

“Making sure our schools and children achieve high standards is an important part of ensuring America's future and position in the global economy,” said Dr. Mark Dominguez, Jim Thorpe Elementary School principal. “However, the well intentioned but under-funded No Child Left Behind Act fails to strike the balance between high standards and well-rounded curricula. The No Child Left Behind Act is accountability without capacity.  School systems must have the capacity and resources to be able to meet the challenges of school accountability, otherwise accountability demands and sanctions are meaningless and often harmful. Hillary Clinton is an advocate for increasing the program's funding and reforming its failures. Whether it's expanding schooling for pre-K or fighting for increases in federal funding to build new schools, Hillary Clinton is a proven champion of improving our education system. The time is now to put her skills and vision to work in the White House.”

“The members of this council know that Nevada needs a president with a demonstrated commitment to improving education and an understanding of the problems that face our education system at all levels,” said Clinton Nevada Chair Rory Reid.  “The campaign is privileged to have the support of an amazing group of leaders who have devoted their lives to preparing the leaders of tomorrow. Their community knowledge and networks will play a vital role in mobilizing support for the caucus.”

The founding members of Hillary Clinton’s Nevada Educators Leadership Council, announced today, are:

Stacie Anthony, Forensics Teacher, North Las Vegas
Rene Cantu, Education Advocate, Las Vegas
Richard Carranza, Educator, Las Vegas
Brian Cram, Former Superintendent Clark County School District, Las Vegas
Chemene Crawford, Educator, Las Vegas
Dick Collins, Lifelong Educator, Las Vegas
Cathy Dreher, Retired School Administrator, Reno
Jeanne Donadio, Educator, Las Vegas
Mark Jose Dominguez, Educator and School Principal, Henderson
Claudia Fadness, School Administrator, Fernley
Nancy Fitzgerald, Elementary School Teacher, Reno
Charles Fulkerson, Former Assistant Professor of Military Science, Reno
Chris Giunchigliani, Special Education Teacher, Clark County Commissioner, Las Vegas
Mary Griswold, Education Researcher, Reno
Jeffrey Geihs, Educator and School Principal, Las Vegas
Rabin Gokol, American History Teacher, Las Vegas
Rosemary Hall, Educator, Las Vegas
Carol Harter, Former President, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Susan Hastings, High School Science Teacher, Reno
Billy Holben, Educator, Reno
Marsha Irvin, Educator, North Las Vegas
Gaye Johnston, Retired Teacher; Churchill County Partners in Education, Former Executive Director, Fallon
Sandra Mack, Educator, Las Vegas
Ronan Matthew, Canyon Springs High School, Principal, North Las Vegas
Kevin McPartlin, Change Advocate, Las Vegas
Jackie McRitchie, Retired Educator, Henderson
Sarah Mersereau-Adler, High School Teacher, Carson City
Eva Melendrez, Educator, Las Vegas
Glenn Miller, PhD, University Professor, Reno
Scott Millard, Math Teacher, Hug High School, Reno
Eugene Paslov, Former Nevada State Superintendent of Schools, Carson City
Sandra Patterson, Educator, Las Vegas
Bridget Phillips, Educator and Parent, Las Vegas
Charlotte Polise, Retired Public School Teacher, Elko
Micheal Polise, Music Teacher, Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Elko
Taylor S. Powers, Ready for Change, Las Vegas
John Patrick Rice, PhD, Director of Institutional Advancement, Great Basin College, Elko
Jennifer Ring, University Professor of Political Science, Reno
Judy Roberts, Professional Educator, Henderson
Tom Rodriguez, Educator, Henderson
Carlos Romo, Director of Equity and Diversity Office, Truckee Meadows Community College, education advocate, Reno
Peggy Breeding Rosch, Educator, Las Vegas
Joyce Schoenberg, Administrator, University of Nevada, Reno
Stephanie Smith, Educator; North Las Vegas City Councilwoman
William Sullivan, College Administrator, Las Vegas
Daniel Tafoya, Educator, Las Vegas
Teresa Testa, Educator, Las Vegas, Las Vegas
Dina Titus, Minority Leader Nevada State Senate; College Professor, Las Vegas
Neftali Torres, Community Activist, North Las Vegas
Mary Ann Toth, Advocate for Children’s Education, Las Vegas
Porter Troutman, Educator, Las Vegas
Jolene Wallace, Professional Educator, Las Vegas
Valerie Waroway, Educator, Las Vegas
Joyce Woodhouse, Former Educator; Nevada State Senator, Henderson
George Workman, Retired Teacher, Former Churchill County School Board Trustee, Fallon

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