Teasley said the NEA, the larger national union with 2.5 million members, will spend the bulk of its national campaign money on key congressional races. The AFT, with 1 million members, has thrown its support behind Democrats in the same Michigan races and others in two Senate races. The AFT's stronger presence in the largest cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia, makes the union capable of increasing voter turnout in traditionally Democratic areas. The NEA's larger membership and greater penetration in suburbs make it more of a potential force in what have been swing areas in presidential elections. With education ranking as a top issue with voters, Gore spokesman Doug Hattaway suggested that teachers could serve as important opinion leaders.
Teachers are well-respected in their communities and are great messengers.
On one of those issues, the politically popular idea of basing teacher pay on the academic performance of their students, NEA delegates today rejected a resolution of limited support. But a union staff member said the vote would not lead to sanctions against affiliates, like the one in Denver, that have experimented with such plans. Gore received an enthusiastic reception after a speech to the AFT today in Philadelphia, where he promised to reduce class sizes, recruit 1 million new teachers and raise teacher salaries. He also restated his opposition to vouchers, linking the issue to the future composition of the Supreme Court. Gore is scheduled to address NEA delegates Thursday.