University Wire
05-01-2000
(Daily Lobo) (U-WIRE) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Donna Price, a social studies teacher at West Mesa High School, said she'd tell her students Monday morning that she gave Vice President Al Gore a hard time on their behalf Friday night.
Price, 41, was one of 250 undecided voters who asked the presidential candidate questions during a four-hour town hall forum. She is originally from Los Angeles, Calif., and went to University of New Mexico so she could teach on a reservation.
Price told Gore she is disillusioned by the political process because she has heard many presidential candidates promise education reform, but none have helped her students. She asked Gore where the federal funds were for her classroom, and why she had to sell candy to purchase the paper needed to run copies for her students.
Price went on to say that her students don't have access to the Internet, don't have computers in their classroom and don't see any federal funding.
Gore responded by saying he long ago had made education his top priority.
"I promise you that, if I am elected, I will do everything I can to improve our education system," he said. "I say it that way because I want to go to Washington, if elected, with an education mandate from voters. That way, I can tell everyone else that improving an ailing education system is what the people want. I can tell them to either help or get out of the way."
Gore also said he supports charter schools, federal funding for public schools, improving teacher salaries, providing computer and Internet access in classrooms and reducing class sizes so teachers can spend more time individually with students.
Price is a registered Democrat who has voted across party lines. She was invited to the rally by a friend who knew she was an undecided voter. Price said she was considering not voting in the presidential election before the town hall meeting because she had no confidence in the candidates. After the forum, she said she would vote for Gore.
"I would not vote for George W. Bush if he was the last candidate on this planet," she said. "Bush is a nothing candidate, and the other parties have no viable candidates. So, I was left with the same old Democratic Party. I have grown disillusioned with them because they sound just like Republicans and aren't getting anything done. I come from a very liberal background, where Democrats were the ones who would reach out and help people, and over the last 15 years that's changed. But, Al Gore's given me a little hope again, and I liked what I saw tonight."
Gore's candor swayed Price. She said she was impressed with the way he interacted with the crowd, and his willingness to answer all questions as openly as he could.
"He didn't really answer my question, and I expected the answer I got, but I didn't expect the actual knowledge and concern about the problem he showed me," she said. "I was impressed by the way he answered, not just my question, but all the questions. I saw a lot of sincerity I haven't seen in a long time."
Price said she has met other political candidates who tend to follow the party line and didn't impress her at all, but Gore was different.
She said it was nice that Gore took the time to come to New Mexico, which offers only five electoral votes to presidential candidates.
"It was nice that we were recognized," she said.
While Price said she saw hope for the future in Gore, she said she doesn't see much hope for the future in her classroom.
"That's why I'm pushing for change because I don't have a lot of hope for them," she said. "I want to see them do well, and it's not really fair to them that I don't think they will, but it's just the way the system works. It doesn't reach out to them. Some of them might just do well, but most probably won't."
(C) 2000 Daily Lobo via U-WIRE
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