Educators among Wisconsin delegates excited to back former schoolteacher Tim Walz

As the Democratic National Convention continues in Chicago, Wisconsin educators in attendance are feeling optimistic. That’s due in part to Minnesota governor and former high school teacher Tim Walz being part of the ticket.

“You know when you elect a former teacher, you get s— done,” said Gov. Tony Evers, introducing Walz at  a breakfast held for Wisconsin delegates on Monday. 

Delegate Ron Martin, who attended the event, teaches social studies to middle school students with the Eau Claire Area School District. He calls the the nomination of Walz for vice president “even more exciting” because he’s a teacher.

Last week, Martin was reelected to serve on the executive committee of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest professional employee organization. 

“It just feels so good to be able to represent 3 million educators across this country,” he said. “I hope to take back the energy that’s here as we go from state to state, to work with some of our real important or battleground states.”

Martin mentioned the advantage of having former first lady Jill Biden in office as a long-time educator for the past four years.

“We just gotta keep that tradition alive now in the White House, always having somebody connected to the profession of education,” he said. 

Delegate Tia Johnson, president of the Beloit School District Board of Education, also attended the first delegate breakfast and said that under the Harris administration, she hopes to see teachers paid more.

“Our teachers need to be able to go in the classroom and not have the stresses and the burdens that they’re experiencing right now,” she said. 

Johnson called the convention “nerve wracking” because while the convention is underway, the School District of Beloit is in the midst of finding $10 million in budgetary cuts for the 2024-25 school year after a failed referendum in April. 

“We have a budget crisis that we’re in and working through that, I’m getting calls and questions about what’s happening and what positions are getting cut and what positions aren’t getting cut,” she said. 

Tonight the school board will hold a meeting to discuss the budget and potentially make a final decision. 

Johnson said that after heading home from the convention this week, she hopes to“communicate effectively to people that don’t think voting is important.”

She said coming from a bipartisan family where her father is a Republican and mother is a Democrat taught her that people tend to vote based on what they were taught as children.

“There are some things on the Republican side that make sense. Some stuff doesn’t. They can say the same about us,” she said.

With a few days remaining in Chicago, Martin and Johnson will continue to push for conversations surrounding public eduation.

“I want to continue to keep the fire burning, not only in educators across this country, but all people,” Martin said. “Because this is more than just public education. It’s about saving democracy.”