CHICAGO (WBBM) ― It's another endorsement for Barack Obama Sunday – this time from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
Obama was in San Diego Sunday, but gave an acceptance speech via satellite.
Delegates at the union's convention in Chicago took the vote just before a rousing thank you speech from their Presidential candidate.
"I am running for president to guarantee that all of out children have the best possible chance in life," Obama said.
Union members watching say Sunday's action should "school" the nation on unity.
"I think today's endorsement from AFT is going to be very important because it's an endorsement of inclusion," said AFT member Maureen Forte. "When you have AFT, IFT and the Chicago Teachers Union and all these other unions coming together under one roof, we're building stronger bridges and stronger communication with all people. And so today's endorsement is very important. We're talking about inclusion: fighting exclusion with inclusion is what AFT is going to do today."
"We need to come together and support. I think that it's the best thing we can do to come out with a strong message from the teachers' union, "said Minnesota teacher Rebecca Chamberlain.
Others support the AFT endorsement because of the poverty they see in their classrooms.
Minnesota teacher Ken Williams said, "We live in Lakeville, which is Lake 'woebegone', and we still have kids who are sleeping in pickups and divorced families and our classrooms get bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger because schools are running out of money."
"Those children are our children. Their future is our future. And it's time we understood that their education is our responsibility," Obama said.
"We are looking for change and Obama shows that there will be change when he's in there," said AFT member Audrey Butler.
And now the challenge for Obama and this union is to get these delegates to go back home to their communities and win over their friends and neighbors.
In Sunday's speech, Obama slammed opponent John McCain's record on education.
Obama also repeated his plans to strengthen programs to recruit and retain teachers.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed the crowd Saturday. Some 3,000 delegates met at the American Federation of Teachers Convention; teachers who have heard Barack Obama's stance that an economic recession is more than a probability - it's reality.
Obama's platform stresses early childhood education, funding to reduce the dropout rate and a scholarship program that would recruit new teachers. Teachers at the convention said all of those topics were important to them.
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