The New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Common Ground Over Chaos bus made a stop in Rochester October 17 as part of its statewide tour to promote civil discourse and get out the vote for candidates who advocate for public education and union values.
NYSUT President Melinda Person and National Education Association President Becky Pringle were joined by Democratic state senator Jeremy Cooney, Republican assemblymember Josh Jensen, and local educators to underscore the importance of returning to a political environment where democracy, healthy debate, and compromise are valued.
The discussion covered a wide variety of topics, from cellphones to mental health to pension reform to the importance of working together to tackle challenges. The visit is part of a six-week tour making more than 40 stops across New York, running until Election Day on November 5.
“In those collaborative conversations, we begin to understand that it is not just educators; we are fighting for working families,” said Pringle. “We want to use this moment to think about how we change teaching and learning in public schools.”
“Conversations like these are how educators are leading the way,” Person said. “We stand for a better version of politics, one truly based on policy, where people can engage in passionate debates, disagree respectfully, and come together to solve problems.”
The tour aims to promote bipartisan cooperation by encouraging candidates to sign NYSUT’s Common Ground Over Chaos pledge, committing to civility and collaboration in government. In addition to Sen. Cooney and Assemblymember Jensen, other politicians who signed the pledge in Rochester included Sen. Samra Brouk and Assemblymembers Harry Bronson, Sarah Clark and Brian Manktelow.
“Education is one of those issues that is not partisan,” said Cooney. “People believe that public education has to work, no matter what your political affiliation is. We have a duty to our teachers, our students, and our communities to fulfill our promise to be better.”
“For me, the things that are in this pledge, this was easy for me to sign, because this is already the way that I believe public service should be done and how my constituents want to be represented,” Jensen said. “It’s okay to disagree, but it’s important to have respect for one another.”
“If you want to see democracy the way it is supposed to be, look in a high school classroom,” said Mike Modleski, president of the Victor Teachers Association. “We all want to make the world a little better, and we can disagree without being enemies. I wish adults could come in and see that happening in a classroom.”
For more information about the tour and NYSUT’s ongoing advocacy, visit https://commongroundoverchaos.org/.
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