The Council of School Supervisors & Administrators (CSA), AFSA Local 1, has endorsed former middle school principal Rep. Jamaal Bowman for reelection. Prior to being elected to Congress, Bowman was a proud member of the union and an educator for more than 20 years. The endorsement comes just days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Bowman for a town hall where they discussed a wide range of subjects, including education.
“The Council of School Supervisors & Administrators is proud to endorse Congressman Jamaal Bowman in his campaign for reelection to represent New York’s 16th District. As a former principal and member of our union, he led his school community admirably, and he has brought the same dedication and skills to Washington, D.C., throughout the last two years. We look forward to fighting alongside Congressman Bowman to ensure that our nation invests the necessary resources and support into our schools as we recover from the impacts of the pandemic,” said CSA President and AFSA Vice President Mark Cannizzaro.
As a young educator, Rep. Jamaal Bowman was a vocal leader of the opt-out movement in the state and pushed for policies that trained New York teachers in trauma-informed practices. Bowman worked as a teacher and school counselor before founding the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action (CASA), an innovative public middle school in the Bronx that emphasized student voices, holistic education, cultural awareness, and love and healing. Bowman brings this unique experience and perspective to Congress, and it is why educators continue to support him.
“I am humbled and honored to receive this endorsement from CSA,” Bowman said. “Many of my colleagues in Congress are wealthy or lawyers who haven’t worked in education or stepped foot in a classroom in ages. I worked in education for 20 years prior to getting elected. Educators, parents and students know that in me, they have a congressman in their corner who understands their concerns and will tirelessly fight to address them. I’m grateful for CSA’s support and I will continue fighting for educators to have better working conditions, higher salaries and improved quality of life.”
In his first year in Congress, Bowman introduced the Green New Deal for Public Schools, a robust piece of legislation that would invest $1.43 million in public schools and infrastructure. He also introduced a bill that would improve diversity in STEM programs, demanded that we protect education spending from budget cuts, and urged the secretary of education to waive standardized testing during the pandemic, citing ongoing trauma for students. Most recently, Bowman introduced the Fair College Admissions for Students Act, which would ensure equity in the admissions process by reforming the legacy and donor admissions practices in universities across the country. Today, CSA’s endorsement underscores the exemplary job Bowman has been doing during his freshman term in Congress.
Bowman was first endorsed by CSA in 2020, during his primary challenge against 30-year incumbent Eliot Engel.
