FEA campaign urges legislators to Make Our Schools A Priority

FEA campaign urges legislators to Make Our Schools A Priority

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Education Association President Andy Ford unveiled a campaign seeking to increase public awareness about the dangers of shortchanging public schools and urging lawmakers to make an investment in our children.

The campaign, Make Our Schools a Priority, will be bolstered by a new website and a television ad campaign beginning today, Ford said.

“We have a long, proud tradition of providing the best to our students – even if the financial backing provided by the state hasn’t been on par with other states,” Ford said. “Our teachers and education staff professionals have always provided excellent instruction, guidance and inspiration to generations of Floridians. We will continue to do so in the face of these financial obstacles, but it is essential that our political leaders understand that now is not the time to turn our backs on public education.

“Our students are the future leaders of our state,” Ford said. “We must invest in our public schools to give our students the world class education they deserve.”

Ford said the new website, www.makeourschoolsapriority.org, was developed to stress to education supporters that the fight for quality education did not end on Election Day and that there is much work to be done. He said it is designed to be fun, attention-getting and user-friendly. Users are encouraged to enjoy and interact with the site and the media they find there, while at the same time learning about threats to our schools and opportunities to take action.

In addition to the debut of the website, FEA will conduct a television campaign statewide that is designed to drive viewers to this website, Ford said.

The Florida Education Association is the state’s largest association of professional employees, with more than 140,000 members. FEA represents pre K-12 teachers, higher education faculty, educational support professionals, students at our colleges and universities preparing to become teachers and retired education employees.