AFTPA President Ted Kirsch released the following statement following the death of a colleague, friend and union counterpart Dolores McCracken, who was president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
"It's with sadness we were notified this afternoon of the passing of Dolores McCracken, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, which represents 180,000 of our educational colleagues in the state.
"AFT Pennsylvania joins educators across the commonwealth and members of the labor community in mourning Dolores. As an educator, colleague and union leader, I admired this remarkable woman's commitment to public education and to the educators she served.
"She was a fighter for students, working throughout her career to make sure they received the help and opportunities they needed to be successful. As a labor leader, she advocated strongly and respectfully on behalf of her members, all educators and working men and women. I was fortunate to have had several opportunities to work with her on issues that affected our members, and I respected her strength, patience and knowledge.
"Dolores' story is inspiring -- her rise from a concerned parent of school-age children to a member of Council Rock School District's educational support staff to the president of one of the state's largest unions. Her warmth and dedication will be missed."
I invite you to learn more about Ms. McCracken's remarkable story here.