Hello,

It’s more important than ever for you to weigh in with Congress and remind them they are a co-equal branch of government. 

Last week, chaos reigned for 36 hours among families, workers, states, localities, school districts and universities gobsmacked by the administration’s unilateral decree to freeze funding already enacted by Congress.

Faced with immediate public and congressional outrage, the White House rescinded its order to freeze funding—for now. But make no mistake: It is just a preview of coming attacks and attempts to dramatically slash investments in school meals, student loans, Title I, and much more.

A few days after the funding debacle, the White House issued a series of executive orders aimed at public education. Check out President Becky Pringle’s comments on them, including one to push privatization.

“President Trump is using his Project 2025 playbook to privatize education because he knows vouchers have repeatedly been a failure in Congress,” she said. “Parents, educators, and voters know what students need—and vouchers are never the solution. In fact, when voters have a say about vouchers, they have been soundly rejected—time and again—at the ballot box.”

Voters across the country have rejected voucher schemes 17 times—every time they’ve had the chance, including in 3 states in November.

In Congress, the GOP majority’s top priority is a “reconciliation” bill that is likely to include a voucher-inspired scheme to weaken public education. Support for public school students would wither while $10 billion a year is diverted from public to private and religious schools under their plan.

As I said above, it is crucial that your senators and representative push back against executive overreach and act like the co-equal branch of government they serve! 

In solidarity,

THIS WEEK’S CHEERS AND JEERS

CHEER: Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ted Budd (R-NC), and Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) are once again leading a congressional resolution to mark February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) month.

JEER: Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) suggested students should work in exchange for school meals, and get jobs that “makes them have value.”