The administration’s plan to shut down the U.S. Department of Education, the latest in an onslaught of overreaching executive orders, would eliminate the resources that students rely on and deserve.

Gutting the Education Department means gutting the public schools that 90% of America’s students, and 95% of students with disabilities, attend.

Together, we will stand up for students, families, and educators and fight this attempt to hand our nation to billionaires on a silver platter.

Last week President Becky Pringle spoke out at a Capitol Hill rally with other unions and organizational members of the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools. “Our students must never pay the price for tax cuts to billionaires,” she said.

This week, the NEA Board will go to the Hill asking their senators and representatives to stand up to this unprecedented executive overreach. Dismantling the Education Department will make it impossible to provide students with the opportunities, resources, and support to reach their full potential. No matter where they live, the color of their skin, or how much their families earn, our young people have the right to an education that prepares them for success.

The NEA Board will lobby Congress on:

• Linda McMahon. The nominee for Education Secretary is unqualified and has for years promoted policies aimed at destroying public schools.

• Disaster relief. Wildfires in Los Angeles have displaced families and forced school closures. Relief is needed in the L.A. area and in other places affected by natural disasters.

• Reconciliation bill. Congress must not use this process of moving legislation as a means for passing a $100-billion tax credit/voucher scheme, cutting student debt relief, and enacting other measures that will bilk students and working families.

• Tax bill. Congress must not shortchange our students to provide more loopholes and tax breaks for billionaires.

Please tell your senators and representative to reject the administration’s plan to close the Department of Education. Tell them to oppose conditioning federal funding of essential programs—like school meals—on whether states and cities cooperate with immigration raids. And tell them to say NO to a $100-billion voucher scheme to siphon money from public schools!

In solidarity,

 

THIS WEEK’S CHEERS AND JEERS

CHEER: Twenty-eight members of the House Labor and Working Families Caucus spoke during a “special order hour” on February 6 in support of federal employees: Reps. Becca Balint (D-VT), Shontel Brown (D-OH), Troy Carter (D-LA), Sean Casten (D-IL), April McClain Delaney (D-MD), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), Max Frost (D-FL), Eleanor Holmes (D-District of Columbia), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Tim Kennedy (D-NY), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Mark Takano (D-CA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Jill Tokuda (D-HA), and Sylvester Turner (D-TX).

CHEER: Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), delivered an opening statement at the February 5 House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing calling out the administration’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education and push voucher schemes that will erode public schools.

CHEER: Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) highlighted the cruelty of the administration’s immigration enforcement actions in immigrant communities at a January 23 press conference.

JEER: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced the Educational Choice for Children Act, a bill that would provide $10 billion a year, over 10 years, to fund tax credits and vouchers. Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) introduced companion legislation in the House (H.R. 817).