Contact:
Devin Boyle | 202.445.0416 | Devin@dfer.org
Christina M. Martínez | 602.316.9732 | Christina@dfer.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Democrats for Education Reform Establishes Arizona Branch
Christina M. Martínez Appointed State Director
Phoenix, AZ, May 2nd, 2013 – Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) established a new state branch in Arizona, officials announced today. State education advocate, Christina M. Martínez, will head the chapter.
“My parents struggled every day to make sure that their kids would have access to a quality education, Christina’s did too,” said Mark Cardenas, member of the Arizona House of Representatives. “It’s refreshing to see someone who knows firsthand what it means to be from a [Latino] community that historically has gone underserved.”
In a recent report, Education Week gave Arizona’s education system a below average “C-”, ranking it 43rd in the Nation. As DFER-AZ state director, Martínez will focus on drastically improving the quality of education provided to Arizona students by working with the state’s Democratic leaders to improve access to a high-quality education, especially for low-income and minority communities.
“Arizona has been under-educating its kids for decades,” said Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform. “It’s time for the state to step up its game by bringing in a young, dynamic reformer to lead the charge. And, we believe Christina is just the person for the job.”
“I’ve spent years working directly with national and local Democrats to enact real reform,” said Martínez. “I know what it takes to get things done and I am committed to working with legislators and the community to ensure all our kids are prepared for a successful future.”
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About Democrats for Education Reform
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a political action committee with 13 state offices whose mission is to encourage a more productive dialogue within the Democratic Party on the need to fundamentally reform American public education. DFER operates at all levels of government to educate elected officials and support reform-minded candidates for public office.