National and State Teacher Organizations Send Doug to Head of Class

In one of the most significant endorsements of the 2004 election cycle, the National Education Association and the Georgia Association of Educators announced that they are endorsing Doug in the 12th District Democratic Congressional Primary. The NEA represents approximately 2.7 million educators across America, while the GAE comprises over 38,000 Georgia teachers.

"I’m especially excited to have the support of the NEA and the GAE," Doug said. "I’ve always fought for our teachers, our public schools, and our children. Having the support of these great organizations represents a vote of confidence that is gratifying and humbling. I’m honored to stand with our heroes in the classroom in bringing a chorus of voices for change to Washington."

GAE President Merchuria Chase Williams said, "We were proud to support Doug Haines during his State Senate career, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to renew our support in his campaign to represent the 12th District in Congress. The NEA and GAE do not take endorsements lightly, and we chose Doug because of both his record of results in the State Senate and his vision and ideas on how to improve our schools."

As a State Senator, Doug worked on a number of issues relating to children and public education, including securing funding for a pilot program of the Georgia Early Learning Initiative, and appropriating the necessary money to build new schools and hire thousands of new teachers.

As a candidate for Congress, Doug has released a detailed education platform, "A Better Deal for Public Education," which focuses on educational issues from pre-kindergarten through college. Doug’s education policy can be found in detail here.