Advocacy News: More and more teachers run for office

Teachers are not only rising up to demand policy change and public school support in places like West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona, they’re also running for office like never before. This Washington Post story describes the movement, fueled by candidates who say their commitment to running for public office is driven by crumbling schools that need more funding, an overemphasis on standardized testing, the call to arm teachers and the reign of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who has zero experience in public schools. Some 170 teachers and other educators, including many AFT members, are running for state legislature seats across the country, and others are reaching for spots in Congress.