Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - NEA NH Leader Karen McDonough to Co-Chair Education Leaders for Hillary

Manchester, NH - The New Hampshire for Hillary campaign today announced the endorsement of education leader Karen McDonough. McDonough, who led the National Education Association of New Hampshire (NEA-NH) for 16 years, joins the campaign as Co-chair of Education Leaders for Hillary. Special guest Iowans for Hillary Co-chair Christie Vilsack, who joined Karen on a conference call today, highlighted Senator Clinton's bold plan to make sure that every child in America has access to quality pre-kindergarten in this country.

"Senator Clinton's passion for improving the education system in this country is clear," said Karen McDonough. "Her work to see that programs such as Head Start and No Child Left Behind receive full funding, and her determination to make higher education more affordable and accessible, speaks to her commitment to the issue."

McDonough was a leader of NEA-NH, a 13,000-member organization, for 16 years. She served as president for last eight years and as vice president for the eight years prior to that. Before becoming president of NEA-NH, Karen was a teacher in New Hampshire for 23 years, including 15 years as an English teacher at Mascenic Regional High School. McDonough is passionate about recruiting, retaining, and rewarding talented teachers.

"Hillary Clinton understands the importance of early childhood education and will bring people together to make sure our children have the education they deserve," said Christie Vilsack, a former teacher and librarian. "She has proposed a program to set American's children on the path to success by providing them with high-quality, universal pre-kindergarten."

As first lady of Iowa, Christie Vilsack, created a statewide literacy initiative. From 2000 to 2006, Christie raised funds to give a book to every kindergartener in Iowa. She visited over 500 Iowa libraries to discuss the social and economic impact of public libraries on communities and to advocate for certified teacher librarians in every school.

"I am honored to have Karen's support. We have a shared passion and commitment to helping improve the lives of children everywhere no matter what," said Clinton. "She is so well respected among educators in the Granite State and her expertise and understanding of New Hampshire's education system will be an asset to my campaign."