(N. Kansas City) - The Missouri National Education Association has recommended the election of Sam Graves in the race for Missouri’s 6th Congressional District.

“Congressman Sam Graves has been a consistent supporter of our children and their public schools,” said Chris Guinther, President of the Missouri NEA. “Sam Graves earned the recommendation of the NEA because time and again he has worked to strengthen public education, maximize student learning and respects school employees. He has worked with the National Education Association to make the mandates of No Child Left Behind more reasonable and achievable, and he has voted against vouchers which would divert public funding to private schools.”

“Congressman Graves did not back down when he was pressured by President Bush to support vouchers, he stood up for our teachers and students,” said Keri Martensen a local middle school teacher. “That is why Sam Graves is one of the few Republicans to earn the recommendation of the Missouri National Education Association.”

Sam Graves has stood up for our children and pushed for increased investment in education. Federal funding for local school districts has increased every year that Sam Graves has been in Congress. In fact, since 2001 funding for Title I education has increased by 63%. Federal funding for special education has increased by 50% in that same time period. Sam Graves also added the amendment to No Child Left Behind that sets the goal of spending 95 cents of every education dollar in the classroom.

“Our kids are our future and we must provide them with the hope and opportunity that only a strong education can provide,” said Graves. “I believe in local control and supporting our teachers. Our education policy should emphasize local control of our schools, because parents and teachers will always know better than Washington bureaucrats what works in their communities.”

The National Education Association represents 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.