On the same day that she released a sweeping plan for reform of America’s education policy, US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, chose Roosevelt High School as the site to trumpet it.
It was natural that she’d schedule a campaign appearance at a public school on such a day, and an Iowa one, given the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses coming up next February. But why Roosevelt?
Because she’s already on record as saying that her dream running mate would be Teddy Roosevelt, the school’s namesake, who made lasting marks as a trustbuster and an environmentalist; both aspects of his legacy that align nicely with Senator Warren’s campaign pledges.
Roosevelt senior Caroline Johnson had the honor of introducing Sen. Warren at an assembly in the school gym during Rider Time, a kind of intermission scheduled into each class day when students have various options as to how to make use of the time. Hundreds chose to see and hear Warren Monday morning.
“I guess I started to get interested in her when one of her campaign volunteers knocked on our door last summer,” said Johnson while explaining how she was assigned to intro her candidate of choice as her first chance to vote approaches. “From there, I started doing some volunteering myself and attending some of her other events. I particularly like her emphasis on climate change as an issue, and she’s also extremely smart.”
Scoreboards at both ends of the gym were turned on and the score read 20-20. Next year’s election will be the first offering full participation to Johnson and many of her classmates. Importantly, anyone who will be 18 in time for Election Day 2020 (November 3rd) is also eligible to caucus next February.
Roosevelt social studies teacher Amber Graeber had a hand in prepping the school to host Monday’s event.
“We were approached by the Warren campaign about three weeks ago,” said Graeber. “This event coincides with a unit in our AP Government class built around a mock presidential campaign, so it’s very timely for those students in particular.”
The event was also a prime chance for Roosevelt journalism students to experience coverage of a major media event and rub elbows with the national press gaggle that follows high profile candidates wherever they go.
Warren took the opportunity to reiterate a promise made earlier in her campaign, besides echoing her previously declared admiration for Teddy Roosevelt. Recalling her childhood ambition to become a schoolteacher, which she later achieved, she told the crowd, “I promise that when I become president I will name a former teacher as my Secretary of Education.”
Johnson emceed a Q&A session that ran the gamut from health care to immigration to college affordability, after which Warren lingered for selfies with every student who stood in line waiting for the chance to pose with her.
The event was just the latest and probably not the last in a series of DMPS campaign stops by presidential candidates drawn by the Iowa caucuses. To date, a dozen presidential candidates have made stops at Des Moines public schools along the campaign trail to talk with students and teachers, and take a first hand look at our programs. DMPS appreciates such opportunities to showcase our schools with national leaders and provide our students with unique learning laboratories.
