BURNS: Manski’s a stronger advocate for education

Dear Editor: In a recent letter, 77th Assembly District candidate John Imes congratulated Ben Manski for winning the endorsement of Madison Teachers Inc. He then went on to state that he had not been invited by the union for an interview. I am sorry to hear that happened.

At the same time, I am confident that Madison Teachers chose to endorse Ben because he is the strongest advocate for public schools in this race. He teaches sociology at Madison Area Technical College, and is a union member. His wife, mother, father, two aunts, uncle, and grandmother are all teachers. And Ben has been deeply involved in advocacy for full funding for public education for two decades now.

What makes Madison Teachers’ endorsement so important and refreshing is that Ben is not a candidate of the political establishment, he is a Green Party candidate. In holding a membership-wide vote to endorse him, Madison Teachers stepped above business-as-usual politics. They are backing the candidate with the most experience, dedication, and most progressive positions -- in short, the strong advocate that public education deserves.

~ Steve Burns, campaign manager, Manski for Wisconsin