Campbell, who began his career as a teacher before being elected to the Louisiana Legislature and Public Service Commission, was an easy choice for the Federation because of his record on issues important to educators, Carter said.
“Foster Campbell's record of investing in public education and supporting educators is remarkable. It sets him apart from every other candidate in the race,” said Carter.
“We’ve been overwhelmed with support in this election, but this endorsement is a really special one for me, personally,” said Campbell. “I’m honored and humbled to have the support of genuine educators, the people who are fighting for our kids on the front lines."
Campbell, who taught in Plain Dealing Louisiana, authored legislation to create the Louisiana Educational Excellence Fund using proceeds from a law suit settlement, an endowment that today contains more than $1 billion to finance public K-12 education across Louisiana. Campbell modeled that fund off of one he started in Bossier Parish which now has more than $45 million. “A lot of people tear teachers down, cut funding, and hurt our kids saying they are being fiscally conservative. But I’ve showed them again and again how to make smart investments that save taxpayers money in the long run,” said Campbell.
The endorsement comes with a substantial network of support from members across the state. “We’re going to do what it takes to put a champion for public education in D.C. to be a partner to our Governor. We’ll be working hard to support Commissioner Campbell,” said Carter.
Campbell has been endorsed by the Governor John Bel Edwards, who was endorsed early and enthusiastically by the LFT in last year’s governor’s race because of his stalwart record on Education.
“Like Governor Edwards, I’m the one in this race who stood up to Bobby Jindal and David Vitter when they were tearing down education, and attacking educators. Together, he and I can finally turn the page on the dark times our teachers and school employees have been through,” said Campbell.
Campbell said his goals with regard to public education and supporting educators include:
• Funding for teacher preparation programs that pair accomplished teachers with new teachers to transfer knowledge and experience
• Common sense quality improvement strategies such as classroom-based performance assessments and nationally recognized educator certification programs
• Fair, transparent, and multi-faceted accountability measures for teachers, schools and districts so parents have the very best information about teachers, school, and district quality
• Federal government support for recruiting and retaining teachers that reflect the diversity of the student population