Tucson educator, man of the year Jeremy Harkin supports Jason Williams for state Superintendent of Public Instruction

Phoenix, Ariz. - Jason Williams, one of the leading candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced today that one of the most highly-respected educators in Tucson has endorsed his candidacy.  Jeremy Harkin, the Arizona Daily Star's man of the year, teaches English at Sahuaro High School and is a member of the Arizona Education Association.  His support for Jason is rooted in his belief in Jason's commitment to moving every child forward and ensuring every child in Arizona has access to an excellent public education.
 

"Jason is not just the best candidate, he is the right person to be our next Superintendent of Public Instruction," said Harkin. "Jason genuinely cares about our kids. I believe he will always put students, and their future success, first when making any decisions as Superintendent. I'm excited to be supporting a solid educator and proven educational leader to be our next state Superintendent."

Harkin was chosen last year by the Star as man of the year after being nominated by one of his former students, who Harkin continues to support to this day.  Harkin has overcome several obstacles in life.  Despite being stricken with polio, suffering serious paralysis as an infant and having significant physical limitations today, Harkin is a distance swimmer and raises funds for several charities.  As reported by the Star, Harkin has swum the San Francisco Bay and other bodies of water to raise money through his charity Swim for Cures for groups like Tucson Centers for Women and Children and the Interfaith Coalition for the Homeless.  He was involved in a serious car accident in 1999 that caused serious injuries. Still, Harkin is known for his "adventurous, excited, upbeat and cool under pressure" personality, according to the Star.

"Jeremy's inspirational story is one we should all try to follow," said Williams.  "His perseverance throughout the challenges he has faced and his ability to overcome those obstacles to become a great mentor to his students and leader in his community is motivating.  Attracting and retaining quality teachers like Jeremy is critical to the future success of our children and our schools.  As Superintendent, it will be one of my top priorities to reward and duplicate the success we've seen from teachers like Jeremy so we can ensure all of our children are reaching their full potential.  I am honored to have Jeremy's support."

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 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.

For more information about Jason Williams, please visit his website here.  To read more about Jeremy Harkin, please visit the Swimming for Cures website here.