Rhode Island Federation of Teachers And Health Professionals Unanimously Endorses Clay Pell
PROVIDENCE, RI* — The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals (RIFTHP) today announced their unanimous endorsement of Democrat Clay Pell’s candidacy for Governor.
«Clay Pell is a tireless advocate for public education, and he is the candidate with a clear plan for ensuring all Rhode Islanders have access to a world-class education,» said RIFTHP President Frank Flynn. «The Ocean State needs a governor who is going to focus on improving and investing in the quality of our public schools. As Clay made clear in the recent WPRI debate, he opposes unnecessarily divisive issues like using high-stakes testing as a graduation requirement, and has serious concerns with the implementation of the Common Core. »
Added Flynn, «Clay is going to bring new ideas and a fresh perspective to education in Rhode Island — ideas like his Hope Internship and Hope Scholarship programs, which would offer every public high school student a career training internship and dramatically reduce the cost of public higher education. That’s the kind of vision Rhode Island so desperately needs.»
RIFTHP is a diverse organization, representing more than 10,000 members who work as teachers, nurses and other health professionals, school related personnel, higher education faculty and staff, and state and municipal employees. RIFTHP believes that positive long-term economic health requires a continuing reinvestment in education, health care and other important public services and is dedicated to that mission. RIFTHP an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Rhode Island AFL-CIO.
«I am deeply honored by the endorsement of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals,» said Pell. «The path to economic prosperity in Rhode Island is to invest in people through education and workforce development. As someone who is deeply passionate about education, it is especially gratifying to earn the support of the classroom teachers, health professionals, and public employee members of RIFTHP.»
«I look forward to working together with students, educators, parents, administrators, and community stakeholders to ensure students develop the skills and experience necessary both to compete in the global economy, and to think critically when they encounter the challenges of the next generation,» Pell added. «This means focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math, but also on the arts, languages, music and sports — which are too often pushed aside.»