Article written by NBFT President, Elizabeth Lynch
![]() A couple of weeks later I received a phone call from AFT headquarters in Washington, DC telling me that 5,000 people replied to the Ask Hillary a question contest and that I had won. The AFT asked if I would be willing to ask Hillary Clinton my question in person. Of course, I replied I absolutely would. The AFT flew me up to New Hampshire on Sunday, November 8th where I met the two other contest winners. On Monday, the three of us, along with AFT members from Connecticut and New Hampshire, met with the American Federation of Teachers' President Randi Weingarten. President Weingarten explained that we would have a roundtable discussion with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She also helped us feel more relaxed and comfortable by asking us questions about ourselves. Finally, the moment arrived to meet Secretary Hillary Clinton. After being cleared by Secret Service we went into a room with about 20 chairs in a circle. Secretary Clinton walked in the room with no fanfare and simply said "hello", took her seat and started to answer our questions. I was the second person to ask a question. She listened intently the questions and gave thorough answers to all. In response to my question she basically said that we need a test but not the PARCC and that more stakeholders needed to be involved in the making of that test. She also agreed that federal money should not be tied to test results. At the end she orchestrated a group photo and then took a photograph with the contest winners and Randi Weingarten. All in all, it was a great experience, one that I will never forget. On January 20, 2017 as I watch Secretary Clinton get sworn in as President of the United States, I will say to myself I shook the hand of the President. |
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