to be funny - she had meant to say "chronically tardy", and by "medically annoying" she had meant those who use their own problems to purposefully disrupt class and the teacher, rather than those with medical issues. In 2016, Eskelsen Garcia campaigned for Hillary Clinton. She spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. After the inauguration of Donald Trump, she described him and the nominee for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos as having an agenda to "profitize, privatize and ... throw a middle-class child into the street saying, 'Let them eat for-profit vouchers.'". More than 1 million emails opposing DeVos' nomination were generated through NEA's online form. Eskelsen Garcia continued to oppose the administration's budget priorities in 2018, calling the proposed 13.5% cut in education spending a "wrecking ball" aimed at public schools. In 2020, Eskelsen Garcia was instrumental in securing an endorsement by the NEA for 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden in the primary and general elections. However, some union members stated their voices weren't heard, as "the rank and file were not asked who they wanted to support". Joe Biden's goal for education has been described as "support[ing] teachers, but that's about as far as his plan goes" and that there is "no real structural plan". In 2020, García was named a candidate for Secretary of Education in the Biden Administration, but Connecticut education commissioner Miguel Cardona was chosen instead. She is reported to have a close working relationship with incoming First Lady Jill Biden, fellow NEA member and educator. References External links 1955 births Living people People from Fort Hood, Texas People from Salt Lake City University of Utah alumni Presidents of the National Education Association American trade union leaders Schoolteachers from Utah American women educators American people of Panamanian descent Trade unionists from Texas People from North Salt Lake, Utah Candidates in the 1998 United States elections Utah Democrats 20th-century American women 21st-century American women