Shocker! PA Teachers' Union Endorses Ryan Costello for Congress

Stop the Presses! You better be sitting down for this one. Pennsylvania's largest teachers' union, which endorses Democrats 99.99% of the time, has endorsed Republican Ryan Costello in the race for Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District over Democrat Manan Trivedi.

Here's the official press release from the Costello for Congress campaign:

PSEA Recommends Ryan Costello Over Opponent in PA-6

Pennsylvania State Education Association says "Costello firmly believes that supporting quality public education for all children is a right for every child."

WEST CHESTER, PA – A strong supporter of public education, Ryan Costello – the Republican candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 6th District -- has received the support of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) and the National Education Association (NEA) Fund for Children and Public Education.  The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education serves as the political voice of more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers. 

“Mr. Costello firmly believes that supporting quality public education for all children is a right for every child,” said Korri Brown, President of the Southeastern Region for the PSEA, which represent 182,000 educators and retired educators in Pennsylvania.  “He comes from a long line of family members, including his parents, who have dedicated their lives to children and our schools. He is a person that understands the world that teachers and education professionals work and live in and we believe he will be a strong advocate for our members if elected.”

Brown noted that the Southeastern Region PSEA/PACE is a bipartisan group the has recommended eight Republicans and eight Democrats this year for the general election based on their positions on issues important to the organization’s members.  Brown said the PSEA team interviewed and closely examined both candidates in this race, which included interviews with both candidates, and decided that Costello was the candidate best suited to support public education in Washington.

Karen White, Director of Campaigns and Elections for the NEA, added to Brown’s comments, thanking Costello for his “commitment to policies that foster great public schools for every child.”

“Both of my parents were Pennsylvania public school teachers, so I know the value and importance of a good education,” said Costello.  “We need to ensure that we are providing our young people a strong academic foundation to prepare them for success later in life. I have the utmost respect for our teachers and other educators who play a vital role in instilling in our children a desire to learn, so their support means a great deal to me.  I look forward to working with school leaders, teachers, and parents to improve our educational system and provide educators with the tools and funding needed to meet the educational needs of our young people.”

Costello also noted that he has serious concerns about the implementation of No Child Left Behind and Common Core standards. “I believe the federal government is too involved in micromanaging education at the local level,” said Costello. “As someone who grew up at a dinner table listening to discussions about education, I believe we need to return more control to local school districts and teachers to allow for greater innovation.  We cannot have a one size fits all mentality when it comes to our children’s education.”

 

The NEA joins a growing list of organizations that have formally backed Ryan Costello’s campaign for Congress.  Other groups endorsing Costello include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chambers of Commerce (SEPAC), the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, and the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry.