Standing with Arizona's working families

I am grateful for the endorsement of the Arizona Pipe Trades 469.  Here's the press release we sent out today:

Union endorses Jason Williams for state schools superintendent
Arizona Pipe Trades 469 calls Williams “best advocate for Arizona’s working families” 

Phoenix, Ariz. – Jason Williams, one of the leading candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced today that he accepted the endorsement of UA Local 469 Plumbers and Pipefitters, also known as Arizona Pipe Trades 469. In a letter announcing their decision, Arizona Pipe Trades 469 said Williams “will be the best advocate for Arizona’s working families.”

“I am proud to stand with the members of Arizona Pipe Trades 469 to advocate for hardworking Arizonans,” said Williams. “As Superintendent of Public Instruction, I will continue to advocate for working families by ensuring every child in Arizona has access to an excellent public education.”

In 2006, Williams secured the Democratic Party nomination for Superintendent of Public Instruction with a majority of votes in 14 of 15 counties. In the general election against the Republican incumbent, Williams received more votes than any other non-incumbent Democrat in the closest of all the statewide races.
Since then, Williams has continued his work to ensure every child in Arizona has access to a quality public education. He currently serves as a Managing Partner for BlueDynamic and was the founder of AZ School Works. In addition to working with the Roosevelt School District, Williams is a faculty member for Arizona State University’s Beat the Odds Institute Parent Liaison Academy, meets weekly to mentor to an eighth grade student through Arizona Quest for Kids, and serves on several education-related Boards of Directors and Advisory Committees, including College Depot, Communities in Schools, Genesis City, and Phoenix Collegiate Academy.

From 2000 - 2005, Williams served as Executive Director of Teach For America (TFA) in Phoenix. During his tenure, local funding for the program doubled, teacher placements increased 150%, and the number of schools and districts partnering with TFA increased 100%. In addition, under his leadership, student achievement levels for the Phoenix program increased significantly, turning the region from TFA’s lowest to its highest performing region in the U.S. in just three years.

UA Local 469 Plumbers and Pipefitters was chartered in 1910, two-years before the state of Arizona became the 48th state. For over 95 years they’ve been protecting the health of the nation through their Plumbing, Pipefitting and HVAC Service work.

For more information about Jason Williams, visit www.WilliamsForArizona.com. To learn about Arizona Pipe Trades 469, visit www.ualocal469.org.

###