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The former president of the nation’s largest teachers’ union has been endorsed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and dozens of national Hispanic organizations as she serves as the leader of the U.S. Department of Education in the Biden administration, reports the Associated Press.
Lily Eskelsen Garcia, who was president of the National Education Association until September, called on members of Congress for support for her candidacy. She is courting Democrats and some Republicans, including Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, who is chair of the Senate Education Committee and former secretary of education.
Her supporters have stepped up their lobbying efforts on her behalf, urging President-elect Joe Biden to appoint her and, in doing so, appoint the first Latina to head the education department.
In a letter to Biden on Monday, the Hispanic Congressional Caucus offered its “enthusiastic support” to Eskelsen Garcia, saying her ties to Congress positioned her well for Senate confirmation. The caucus drew attention to Biden’s proposals to tackle racial disparities in education, saying Eskelsen Garcia has continued this work for decades.
“Lily’s long history of accomplishments, working across the political divide, and building and maintaining constituencies would make her an excellent education secretary,” according to the letter, which is signed by 23 members.
Last week, it also received approval from the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of more than 40 Hispanic civil rights and public policy groups. The coalition sent a letter to Biden on Friday calling Eskelsen Garcia the ideal candidate to move away from “the destructive practices and policies of the Trump administration.”
Others widely considered to be candidates for the leadership of the education department include Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers; Sonja Santelises, the CEO of Baltimore City Schools; and Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Connecticut Democrat who was named National Professor of the Year in 2016.
Weingarten said on Tuesday she had had conversations with Biden’s transition team but was not campaigning for the nomination. “I am truly honored with this mention, but I am only doing my job,” she said in an interview.
Supporters of Eskelsen Garcia claim his appointment would fulfill Biden’s promise to install an education chief with work experience in public education. The appointment of the former president of a teachers ‘union would win Biden’s favor with advocates for public schools, but it could risk alienating education reform advocates who view teachers’ unions as an obstacle to change.
Eskelsen Garcia served on a White House panel for Hispanic education under former President Barack Obama, but she also argued with her administration over her policies regarding standardized testing.
Jill biden, a longtime community college teacher and member of the National Education Association, recently said union advocacy was “essential” to her husband’s victory.
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