Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Morris Andrews, a revered champion of teachers, children, and public education in Wisconsin. Morris Andrews was born in Big Rapids, MI, on November 26, 1935. As a talented student athlete, Andrews graduated from Big Rapids High School and went on to play football at Central Michigan University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in secondary education. He earned his master's degree from Indiana University in physical education. Morris taught high school government, coached football, and organized teachers throughout the country. He came to Wisconsin to lead the Wisconsin Education Association Council, WEAC, in 1972, initiating a transformation in the way teachers were valued in the State. Morris brought pride, power, and respectable wages to the teaching profession. After the protracted and bitter Hortonville teachers strike in 1974, Morris helped craft a mediation/arbitration law that replaced the right to strike with collective bargaining. This new way of settling public sector labor disputes ushered in decades of labor peace. Under his leadership, WEAC set the standard for recognizing the importance of teachers in shaping the future for generations of students. As teachers' rights increased, so did graduation rates and test scores. Wisconsin ACT scores rose to the top of the national charts for decades.…”