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We the People Black History is American History As Black History Month comes to a close and Women's History month is about to begin, we must fiercely defend our rights to celebrate both, particularly when the Trump Administration is busily eliminating both from federal databases, jobs, and websites. Twentieth century historians typically ignored or misattributed contributions of Black people and/or women, which is why acknowledging, celebrating, and retelling their stories is important. In fact, the founder of Black History Month, Carter G. Woodson, had a life-long passion for history, because he knew that we needed to truly understand our history to move toward a greater future. I saw this first hand at the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) first annual Black History celebration at Carter G. Woodson High School last week where FCPS staff, students, and families came together to break bread, " Lift Every Voice ," and revisit stories of Black education in Fairfax. Likely, the event inspired the crowd to keep the light of truth alive in these dark and dangerous times. Frankly, it is hard not be inspired by the stories of Black Fairfax families who took personal ownership of their children's educational future, despite anti-Black violence when the school system abdicated their financial and moral responsibilities. Black families did this by: Fundraising for teachers, schools, supplies, and books. Consistently fighting for educational rights locally and on the national stage. Persistently entering spaces where they were unwelcome and often threatened by white leaders, parents, students, and outside agitators. Pursuing their legal rights through the courts. Volunteering time and funds to teach, feed, and support students and educators. The Rosenwald Schools built in Fairfax County have been replaced by housing, but they were critical to providing safe, secure, clean, welcoming spaces for Black students to learn when Fairfax County spent pennies on the dollar for their education. Renowned leader of the Tuskegee Institute Booker T. Washington collaborated with Julius Rosenwald (philanthropist President of Sears) and inspired Rosenwald to create the Rosenwald Foundation which helped fund the construction of over 5,000 schools for Black students across the South. Despite these efforts, many Black children were under-educated or not educated at all. At this time, the right to celebrate is under fire. The Trump Administration has banned affinity groups and monthly celebrations in the federal government, while they have aggressively sought to erase both Black people and women from jobs, descriptive statements, and search engines. One would have to be blind to miss the danger to us all if they succeed, because the next step will be to rewire history books so that the contributions of Black people and women will be once again be eliminated from history curricula. I cannot emphasize enough that schools across the nation should integrate Black, Asian, Hispanic, and queer history throughout history books and curricula to eliminate the need single weeks or months throughout the year to highlight important events, contributions, and history associated with often overlooked Americans. However, until that happens, we need to raise up cultural and historical contributions from all of our great Americans and American immigrants to this nation.  There are those who mistakenly believe that teaching Black History is "divisive " and there are those who are dissatisfied  with a diverse, inclusive future this nation has been pursuing for decades. Thus, we need to fiercely defend our successes and stridently work for future change . In the words of Wendi Manuel-Scott, professor of integrative studies and history at George Mason University, who was a keynote speaker at the Woodson Black History celebration: [Carter G.] Woodson knew teaching was a radical act. Read books that challenge you. Expand your mind and generate questions. I hope that Woodson's legacy inspires you to never stop asking questions. Your power is in your curiosity. If we all recognize how radical it is to have access to quality education, then maybe we will be able to defend its existence. Vanessa Hall is one of many local citizens in Fairfax County who successfully advocated to change the name of her children’s high school from W.T. Woodson to Carter G. Woodson. You can learn more about this in A Tale of Two Woodsons . To learn more about Carter G. Woodson and Virginia history, read Black History, Our History . A musical ensemble performs "Lift Every Voice" (credit: FCPS)

This weekend, OPM sent an email to millions of federal employees demanding they describe what they did the previous week in five bullet points. Per Elon Musk, failure to respond would be considered a “resignation.” From new hires (if there are any left after the “DEI” and Valentine’s Day firings) to 30 year civil servants, each federal employee received the following email which created concern, confusion, and chaos after different departments refused to comply, citing concerns about security and usefulness of the exercise. Of course Musk’s memes didn’t help things. Nor did his revelation that this exercise was merely to determine if employees had a pulse , and all responses will be run through an AI system. This begs the question: what efficiencies are gained by this exercise? How does this make the federal government more effective? The BS of the 5 Bullet Points This chaotic request in the federal government made a number of people think about their own jobs. Many, like Michelle Singletary  reported five things they did to deal with Elon’s offensive request, including talking to federal workers anxious about their future, and interviewing a psychologist to help workers cope. Others, like the American Federation of Government Employees  did just one thing: file a lawsuit against the OPM request for “violating procedural requirements.” What would normal people do if others demanded that they write five bullet points to completely encapsulate what they do in a week? It is a disrespectful demand that only an unserious person would make of a civil servant who has managers, receives 360 reviews, and reports to their agency administrator. To highlight how disrespectful the request was, some chose to send in humorous bullet points. Wonder who will read those? Many people thought deeply about how hard they are holding it together in the deep chaos of the first six weeks of the new national administration which has been hallmarked by mass firings, mass deportations, threats to the existence of trans people, the targeting of school systems for “DEI” and “gender identity” infractions against Trump’s EOs, the appointment of unqualified agency leads, diplomatic hostility to allies, renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, and removing legitimate news organizations  from the White House press corps for refusing to use the Gulf of Mexico’s new name.  Teaching Cannot be Summarized in Five Bullet Points Of course, there is no way to narrow down all that teachers do in a week to a mere five bullet points, because everything they do goes far beyond the lesson plans  whether it is ensuring that diverse students are included in the learning community or just by showing up after catching a cold from a kindergartner. A local high school teacher shared this list of a week in the trenches as a high school educator in Fairfax County: Emotional Labor: Teachers navigate the complex emotional landscapes of 100+ teenagers, acting as a counselor, mediator, and sometimes, surrogate parent, all while trying to maintain a semblance of professional detachment. The constant exposure to their anxieties, their traumas, and their frustrations takes a heavy toll on teachers’ own emotional wellbeing.  Paperwork Mountain: There is no such thing as regular or business hours. Teachers can be found grading stacks of essays and assignments, often late into the night, while simultaneously documenting student progress, writing IEPs, and responding to endless parent emails. The feeling of never being caught up is a constant, suffocating weight. Resource Scarcity:  Teachers are constantly scrambling to find adequate resources for their students, often spending personal funds on classroom supplies, because budgets are stretched so thin. The frustration of trying to provide quality education with limited materials is a daily battle. Disciplinary Minefield:  Every day, teachers find themselves dealing with behavioral issues that range from mild disruptions to serious incidents, often with minimal administrative support. The fear of potential violence or escalating conflicts is a constant undercurrent. The Weight of Potential:  Teachers carry the immense responsibility of helping to shape young lives, knowing that a student’s future trajectory can be significantly influenced by a teacher’s action. The pressure to provide students with the tools they need, despite systemic obstacles, is crushing. Teachers have been hardest hit in the last five years of pandemic, remote and hybrid teaching, book bans, doxxing, and fear of reprisal by bad faith actors or their own administration. Despite efforts by many school districts to increase pay and support for teachers and staff, all public educators are re-evaluating what they do on a daily basis to hold it together while still teaching, supporting, and protecting students from the political chaos.  Not only that, but education staff have always been the first required to “tighten their belts” in crises and the last to be compensated when financial crises are over. So what will happen under the current administration when the President has: pledged to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, accused teachers of indoctrinating students, and promised to remove federal funding from public school districts? Federal funding can be anywhere from 1-26% of a school’s budget, and it is intended to support the students who need it most by covering food, health care, disability services, and English language instruction, so removing federal funding may be catastrophic. Use Your Voice to Get Teachers Out of the Trenches It is the responsibility of superintendents, administrators, families, and communities to think deeply about how teachers can teach when they must be more than merely a teacher in the classroom and their school community. Education staff are social workers, supplemental nutritionists, nurses, guidance counselors, protectors, and, in some cases, human shields. No staff person should expect to dodge bullets as part of their job. Yet, school staff are expected to be that–many have difficult conversations with their families “just in case” the worst happens at their school. You can help get teachers out of the trenches and onto the fields of education, which means:  Paying them for their education, experience, and work. Providing sufficient support services for students and families who need it, so that their basic needs (shelter, nutrition, health, and security) are met before a student enters the classroom. Education gaps will persist unless all students start school healthy, safe, and fed. Respecting their time , effort, and education by supporting and protecting them, instead of targeting and harassing them. Recognizing their work –their life’s calling–as one of the most important jobs since they educate and mold the electricians, nurses, mechanics, lawyers, artists, and teachers of our future. Telling our federal, state, and local funding sources to fully fund education as if our life depends on it, because one day, it may. Your voice matters, even if current national and state administrations refuse to listen to reason (and they have eliminated contact information on their websites). So, contact the Virginia’s Governor, Virginia's Education Secretary, and your state and federal representatives now to demand they fund and support our public schools. Use these links for their emails. Glenn Youngkin, Governor of Virginia at glenn.youngkin@governor.virginia.gov , submit a comment via their web form or call his office at 804-786-2211. Aimee Guidera, Secretary of Education VDOE has no email listed, so contact her Executive Assistant at: Tammy.babbs@governor.virginia.gov or call her office at (804) 786-1151. Senators and Congressmen: Find contact emails and phone numbers for your federal representatives here . Virginia Representatives: Find contact emails and phone numbers for your state legislators here .

The 2025 General Assembly Session ended on February 22. Sadly, bills that called for improved funding for public education were defeated in the legislature. This was even after the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) recommended there be substantial increases in funding for Virginia’s public schools as these school systems are seriously underfunded. All six of 4 Public Education’s priority bills failed , as have some other bills that 4 Public Education supported. Those include a proposal to provide free breakfast and lunch for all public school students and a proposal to allocate additional state funding for English learners.  Although it is disappointing that these bills did not pass this session, it is likely that they will be considered again in future years and many of those issues are being addressed further in the state’s budget.  The House and Senate money committees resolved differences between the amended budget bills  of the two chambers on February 18 and the conferees published a Joint Conference Committee report  on February 20. A comparison of the Conference Budget and the Governor's Budget can be viewed at this link . On February 22 there was overwhelming bipartisan support for the Conference budget when it came to a vote in the General Assembly (81-18 in the House and 27-3 in the Senate). Since then the conference budget has been delivered to the Governor.  With that overwhelming bipartisan support in the General Assembly there is hope that appropriate funding for public education will come through in this year’s final budget. In fact Ashley Kenneth, President and CEO of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis (TCI) reported that: The proposed budget continues recent historic investments made by state lawmakers in public education. After over 15 years, lawmakers have proposed significant funding to finally lift the arbitrary cap on state funding for student support positions, which covers the state share of the cost of an additional 4,725 support staff to help students succeed in the classroom (numbers for each school division are available here ). Additionally, the conference report includes an additional $52.8 million in flexible funds for localities to be able to better support students with disabilities by paying for critical supports like learning aids and assistive technology.  There are several major differences between the Governor’s and the Conference Budget. Governor Youngkin called for $50M for school vouchers for private schools, or $5K per student, but the Conference budget does not support any funding for school vouchers. Similarly, the Governor proposed $25M for lab schools and the conference budget called for no funding for that purpose. Also, the Governor’s budget did not consider lifting the support cap  but the Conference Budget includes the funding needed to lift that cap. 4 Public Education agrees with the Conference Budget and finds the Governor’s Budget undermines public education by taking funding away from teachers and students. Now Governor Youngkin may sign the bill, veto the entire bill, veto certain line items, or recommend amendments to the bill. If the Governor vetoes any part of the bill, or if he recommends amendments, the bill will go back to the General Assembly in the spring during a reconvened session for that body to act on the Governor's proposed amendments.  We don’t yet know the outcome of the state budget negotiations, and there is additional uncertainty in Virginia’s education budget due to the current assault on the US Department of Education (ED). Only about 14% of public school funds come from the ED to the states, but the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) appears to be crippling  the agency’s ability to provide education services  needed by the states. The ED is being stripped of staff, contracts, and grants, all of which are being terminated without apparent pre-planning or logic, leaving the agency in chaos and unable to fulfill its responsibilities.  One of the necessary services in jeopardy is the measurement of student achievement across the nation using the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), known as the Nation’s Report Card. Because NAEP  relies on grants and programs  that are being eliminated by DOGE, it will be difficult for the federal government to administer the NAEP and monitor performance of schools in each state. This is particularly ironic in light of Virginia’s recent NAEP scores. The latest report showed that Virginia is last in the entire nation on math recovery .  It is now up to Governor Youngkin to make the correct choice on funding our public schools. Will he choose to defund our public school students despite public outcry?

February 4th was Crossover, which is the last day for each chamber to act on its own bills. After that date, all bills that passed in each chamber crossed over to the other chamber for consideration. By February 6th proposed amendments to the existing budget by the Governor and the money committees of both chambers were published online . February 20th is the last day legislators can act on bills and appoint conferees, and February 22nd is the day this legislative session adjourns. Currently budget negotiations are underway. Status of 4PE’s Priority Education Bills on February 13, 2025   Of our six priority bills, only two crossed over to the other chamber and of those two, only one is still being considered in the General Assembly.  HB 2196  – would provide funding for a Restorative Schools program. It is being considered in the Senate Finance and Appropriations committee . Please answer this   new call to action for the Senate committee. The priority bills that are no longer under consideration by the General Assembly are:  HB1954  – crossed over to the Senate but was passed by indefinitely in the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. HB2118  – was left in the House Education Committee.  SB977  – was left in the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee SB979  – was defeated in the Senate  SB1262  – was left in Finance and Appropriations committee  Budget Amendments Amendments are being made to the current budget proposed by the Governor and the House and Senate money committees. Although many of the education bills are being defeated in the legislative chambers, some important education issues still are being addressed in Virginia’s Budget. Amendments to the current budget are proposed by the Governor and the House and Senate money committees and are provided on page 3 at this link . The proposed amendments for priority issues and the amendments preferred by 4 Public Education are provided below. Support Cap In 2009, during the Great Recession, Virginia lawmakers capped (limited) the amount of state funds that could be spent on support staff. This cap has not changed in subsequent years and with inflation this has resulted in a declining number of support staff positions. Currently Virginia funds less than 40% of its support positions, requiring local governments to make up the difference. As a result, the cap has drained resources from critical roles like clerical, maintenance, and instructional support. The cap on support staff is still in effect in the education budget.The proposed budget amendments for the support cap are: Governor: No change House:  $222.9 M increase Senate: $222.9M increase 4 Public Education: Supports the House and Senate proposed amendments to lift the support cap. Funding Formula for Public Schools The Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission  (JLARC) reported that Virginia’s funding formula is flawed and should be revised to where it would provide 66 percent to 93 percent more funding to public schools than at present. The proposed budget amendments for correcting the flawed funding formula are: Governor’s:  no change but “allocates $1M from the Transformation Office to build an interactive model” for the funding formula. House: $1M increase to revise the funding formula Senate $1M   increase to revise the funding formula 4 Public Education: Supports the monetary number and prompt action on the funding formula, but prefers a process that protects the needs of distinct stakeholders rather than the goals of the Transformation Office.   School Vouchers School vouchers divert public funds to private schools. Problems with school vouchers are discussed at this link .  Governor : $50M, redirected from public school funding to private schools.  House: $0 Senate: $0 4 Public Education:  Prefers the House and Senate proposed amendments because public funds should remain in public schools.   College Partnership Lab Schools Governor:  $25M House : $0 Senate  $0 4 Public Education:  Prefers the House and Senate amendments. The recently established Lab Schools tend to be management top-heavy with few new dollars reaching classrooms. They also undermine ongoing advanced programs such as Dual Enrollment, IB, and AP. Though the Governor maintains these dollars are available for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), HBCUs were eligible for the earlier grants but chose not to apply. At this time, none of the current Lab Schools have established track records to confirm they are effective, so the promise that they will be self-sufficient in the future appears unlikely.  Community Schools Governor:  $0 House : $2.5M  Senate  $1M 4 Public Education: Prefers the House amendment because it calls for greater funding for community schools. These schools create opportunities, empower communities, provide wrap-around services, and meet students where they are in their communities.  School Construction Governor $140M from the School Construction Fund & $150 m from the Literary Fund for competitive grants.  House : $150M from the School Construction Fund for competitive grants.  Senate:  $140M from School Construction. Fund and also allows all localities to hold referendums for 1% local sales tax.  4 Public Education: Prefers the Senate amendment that authorizes localities to hold a referendum for 1% local sales tax for public education.  Bonuses for Teachers and Support Staff Governor: $0m  House :  $1K per position to be provided in September Senate: $1K per position to be provided in June  4 Public Education:  Prefers salary increases instead of bonuses. Bonuses do not contribute to employees base pay for ongoing cost of living or retirement basis. Virginia employees are underpaid and need actual raises that accrue over time, rather than temporary band aids like bonuses.  Students with Disabilities Governor: $0 House :  $52.8M Senate: $52.8M 4 Public Education: Prefers the House and Senate versions because there is a need for additional funding for students with disabilities.  Funds for “Off-track” & “Needs Intensive Support” Schools Governor: $51.3M  House: $0  Senate: $0, and implementation of the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) new accountability plan should be delayed.  4 Public Education:  Prefers the Senate amendment because the Governor’s amendment calls for implementing and responding to results of the new VDOE accountability framework the 2025-2026 school year. It is critical that implementation of the accountability framework be delayed until the many identified problems are resolved.  There is an opportunity for the public to make comments on the Governor’s, House, and Senate proposed amendments at this  link.  Please consider making your voice heard.

Thursday Feb. 13, 2025 at 10 am Linda McMahon will testify at her Senate confirmation hearing  When I googled Linda McMahon for her experience and quotes on education for this blog, no quotes came up. Nada. Nothing. I found lots of scrubbed and buffed  articles  from assorted anti-public schools outlets popped on the screen, but no policy statements, no sound bites, no “running for office” quotes from Linda herself. It seems at least for the broad public, Linda is letting the favorable algorithms of the five tech guys who had Trump’s back at the inauguration and the anti-public schools lobby do confirmation hearing public relations for her. There are some things we do know about Linda though: Fake: She got her business experience managing a company that specializes in  fake competitions, WWE, which is best known for fooling gullible people, and entertaining those who enjoy staged violence and fabricated conflicts. Linda also managed WWE through multiple steroid scandals and avoided basic accounting systems like withholding social security and taxes for WWE’s employees. Questionable Parenting: Linda’s examples of parenting involve publicly staged foul mouthed arguments  with her daughter in which they took turns calling each other names  and smacking each other around.   Poor Track Record on Sexual Predators: She seems unconcerned with protecting youth from sexual predators, as at least 5 adolescent boys who worked for her sued her, accusing her of looking the other way as her manager sexually abused them.  Public School Privatizer: Similar to prior Trump Secretary of Ed Betsy DeVos, Linda avidly supports school privatization, has her  own private jet,  and has a yacht she named “Sexy Bitch.” No Experience: She has no experience in education–other than some board appointments in Connecticut where she was caught lying on her resume  saying she had a bachelor's degree in education. Although, she did give a building to private Sacred Heart University and was named to their board.  Let’s be pragmatic: despite a lack of qualifications, Linda McMahon will  be confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Education (ED) this week. The Democratic Committee members have offered little more than tepid resistance to most of Trump’s abysmally unqualified and unfit cabinet nominees this time around. Her confirmation will be even easier than many of the others no matter how offensive her nomination is to educators, parents, and students. Afterall, she has already served at the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.  For decades, philanthropists have spent hundreds of millions a year pushing the public and policy makers to adopt school privatization yet, according to 33rd Square:  “Over the past 10 years, public school enrollment has increased 15% from 50 million to 57.8 million students nationally. Private school enrollment grew 7% in that same period from 5.9 million to 6.3 million students.”  At the same time, according to the 74million,  charter schools grew by 9% between 2019-23. So after at least 30 years of hundreds of millions annually spent by anti-public schools philanthropists  to convince the American public to go charter or private school, enrollment in public schools is still outpacing private and charter growth. More people, not fewer, are choosing public schools. The privatization lobby is using Trump and his allies as a last ditch effort to break the public schools. All the current threats of the last 24 days are an attempt to force Americans to abandon their neighborhood schools whether they want it or not:  Linda McMahon as the nominee for Secretary of ED,  Elon Musk’s muskrats invading the ED building and its computers,  Donald Trump’s freezing of funds, and ordering contracts cancelled, and Deeply buried funding and authorization for federal vouchers in the reconciliation bill. Nevertheless, the American people have chosen their local public schools.  Maybe the Senate and the House should follow their constituents’ lead, and choose the public schools which have delivered longer lifespans, higher productivity, expansive creativity and innovation, and world leadership, rather than listening to large donor class demands.

In a surprising reversal, the Virginia High School League (VHSL), announced on Monday, February 8th that it was capitulating to Trump’s Executive Order (EO) and will now exclude transgender students from women’s high school sports teams. Only days earlier , they had reaffirmed their long-standing policy permitting transgender athletes to play sports according to their gender identity.  This change comes as a blow to athletes, coaches, and families across the state, particularly after the VHSL held firm to their 2014 trans inclusive policy in the face of Governor Youngkin’s 2023 exclusionary “Model Policies” that effectively attempted to eliminate transgender and nonbinary students from sports and public education in the state. There are over 177,000 students across Virginia that participate in sports and academic extracurriculars governed by VHSL policies. Yet only “five students applied during the 2024-2025 school year for waivers to play on teams that did not match their sex assigned at birth.” It is unknown how many other transgender or nonbinary athletes may be participating in VHSL sports, but this ban will cause immense harm to them, their families, and their school communities. Despite a lack of evidence of harm and a miniscule number of trans athletes, VHSL decided to exclude trans athletes from participating in VHSL-run activities. Of course, now transgender and nonbinary students will think twice about participating in any VHSL-run activities, knowing that VHSL not only does not support them, but will gladly exclude them when things get tough. Of course, the harm caused by this exclusive policy does not end there. Girls’ sports have already been hyper-scrutinized by anti-trans groups and individuals. In some cases, girls have been harassed and even threatened because they did not comply with narrow gender stereotypes of what a “girl looks like.”  Such an exclusionary policy empowers people (a.k.a. “trans-inspectors") to dispute the gender of an athlete, which is concerning when female athletes are often more muscular and may be less traditionally feminine than their counterparts, particularly when they are competing. A sweaty girl with a hockey stick in her hand may be targeted by trans-inspectors because they think she looks “more masculine” than what they consider acceptable, no matter her gender identity.  The National Women’s Law Center  argues that the President’s EO “reinforces sexism and abuse in sports.” They say that: Sports bans are a gateway into policing how we all look and act. Enforcement of these bans threatens to sweep up any girl or woman athlete who is perceived as “too masculine” or “too good” at their sport to be a “real” woman or girl, leading to invasive questioning and medical testing to verify their gender, harassment, and violence. This has already happened across the country. Last fall, a Utah state board of education member made a “social media post  [that] implied that a basketball player was transgender, leading to such intense harassment that the district sought police protection for the child.” All because the girl wore baggy clothing and wore her hair short. The VHSL’s policy change increases threats to all students, especially those whose gender expression may be less comprehensible to adults whose expectations for gender expression may be more parochial or dated. In particular, this impacts students who are LGBTQIA+ and/or non-white. Only last summer, Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer, was subjected to slurs and harassment  due to her gender presentation as a muscular athlete. Girls who are perceived as “too masculine” have been subjected to criticism and sometimes threats. Girl athletes have always had to walk a tightrope of admiration and disapproval, but now there will be an extra element of suspicion and violence, since the very nature of girl athletes often defies gender stereotypes. Please consider signing the petition  now to ask the VHSL to affirm and strengthen policies that promote inclusivity, ensuring that all students, regardless of identity, have equal access to participate in high school athletics. CLICK here to Sign the VHSL

Note: This was originally printed as an OpEd in Dogwood. Please click here to view . We were warned by Project 2025 that there were plans to drastically cut or terminate the U.S. Department of Education (ED). As of February 7, 2025, the President is reportedly drafting his Executive Order to dismantle the ED and is seeking coordination with Congress in order to make the closure a reality. Now there is a  bill in Congress to terminate the ED , and the ED is being threatened with a hostile takeover . More than ever we must recognize and protect the ED based on the value it brings to our nation .  The alternative is to let federal funds that are appropriated for public education “be block granted to states without strings.” The federal government makes a relatively small monetary contribution to the public education budget for states (about 13.6%) , but the ED plays a critical role in providing education support, expertise, and oversight to each state. Most of the funding for public education comes from state and local budgets, which is why currently there is such inequity among public school systems across the country.  The ED is highly valued by most Americans, as was shown in a recent poll . Education is one of the public policy issues that the “public says the government is spending too little on.” Many of the programs administered by the ED are not only highly popular, but implement specific laws Congress has mandated, so to date there has been little support for dismantling the department and terminating existing education programs.  Roles of the ED include administration of special education programs and those for underserved students and communities. Among the programs slated for termination are:  Title 1, which is the largest source of federal funding for public schools, and provides money for states to distribute to schools with the lowest income families and thus the highest need. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which ensures that children with learning and physical disabilities receive an education. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which dictates that states provide every child with a quality education as a right.  Title 1 of the ESSA supplements state and local funding in school districts with high concentrations of underserved families with children in K-12 public schools, including families  with low-income backgrounds, English Language Learners, and other traditionally underserved populations. There are significant disparities in funding and education resources among school districts with high-poverty schools receiving less total funding even with the federal contribution. This is even while children living in poverty tend to have greater educational needs. Evidence shows that school funding matters for student outcomes. Without the more equitable distribution of resources provided through Title I, systematic disadvantages will increase for low-income families. Although educators recognize that aspects of this Act’s accountability measures need updating , this information is necessary for effective policy development and targeting of funds to low income schools and communities   Students with disabilities and learning challenges are particularly vulnerable to reductions in education funding.  The ED provides expertise, resources, and oversight for implementation of laws such as the IDEA that serves these students. Every student has the right to a free and quality education and the ED provides the individual support necessary for any student with a disability. The ED guides the creation of individualized education plans (IDP) and administers these plans for the many and complex learning needs of students with disabilities and learning challenges. It is unlikely that this expertise and support can be provided at the local level for many if any states.  Another important role of the ED is protection of students’ civil rights. Currently, public school systems are responsible for operating safe and welcoming environments for all students. The ED holds schools accountable when students’ civil rights are violated. Project 2025 calls for reducing these protections for students and also calls for narrowing or eliminating aid programs.  In addition to closure of the ED itself, the administration is proposing that public school funds be mandated in every state to be directed to private schools. The proposal to redirect public school funds to private schools via education scholarships or vouchers is unworkable because all students have a right to an education but private schools are not required to admit students with disabilities, or any other student they don’t want to educate. Public schools may not discriminate.  If funds allocated for public education go to private school scholarships, underfunded public schools will be left to educate students who are not accepted by private schools. Furthermore, school scholarships generally will not cover all of private school tuition, so only wealthy families will be able to use the scholarships. Meanwhile it is unlikely that adequate resources and expertise will be available in the schools that become underfunded due to the redirection of federal funds. Note: this can be a dire consequence in rural areas because private schools are not required to provide transportation to students.  It is not just K-12 public schools that are potentially at risk with proposed changes to the ED. Students in higher education also are vulnerable.  Because the ED manages the student debt portfolio, millions of students would not be able to borrow money to go to college or would be forced to take on private loans with higher interest rates and more onerous repayment plans. Oversight by the ED provides consumer protection for all borrowers. Eliminating this support and oversight could cause disastrous results for college students and their families.  In addition to helping financially, the ED administers other programs that help students finish college. These include providing aid and technical assistance to minority and traditionally underserved students and under-resourced institutions. Termination or severe cutbacks of the ED could cause students to accrue even more debt and have more difficulty repaying their loans. Minority-serving and under-resourced institutions could be seriously affected and their ability to provide a quality education to their students could be jeopardized.  Previous attempts to terminate the ED have failed – once under President Reagan and again during President Trump’s first administration. With the current conservative trifecta in the federal government there is a greater chance of attacks on the ED being successful. All who recognize the importance and value of education must be ready to push back against the proposal for its termination.  Please consider calling your Representative and two senators and tell their legislative assistants that you object to the dismantling of the Department of Education. Here is a link to where you can find their contact information.

My daughter was physically ill on Tuesday after she witnessed Nazi salutes on the inaugural stage, and executive orders signed to create chaos and harm, and upend the rule of law.  We are in unprecedented times where violent criminals are pardoned, kindness is out of fashion, and the Constitution is undermined with the swipe of the Presidential pen. Where science and truth are rewritten by ideologues, and ICE is unleashed on schools, hospitals, and places of worship, terrifying entire communities. Civil rights and public education are under attack.  Nevertheless, we must do the work. Educator and former Congresswoman Katie Porter says not to let the chaos and fear distract us. Instead, we must: Stay focused on the real people harmed by these policies and work to mitigate that harm.  Stand up to bullying --Be an upstander, not a bystander.  Work cooperatively as possible, but NEVER compromise values, or civil rights . Speak truth to power.   FCPS must continue to offer safe, meaningful educational space for students, staff, and families by prioritizing kindness and patience, offering mental health support, and maintaining the Trust policy which protects immigrant students and Regulation 2603 which protects transgender students. You are the first line of defense for staff–protect them and provide resources, support, and pay they need to do their best by their students. No matter what happens at the federal level, you  were elected to do the work here, and you are empowered by the Virginia Constitution to support, protect, and educate our children regardless of race, religion, immigration status, disability, gender, or gender identity in FCPS. Our world is being turned upside down, which is why we all must do the work  of ensuring safety, equity, exc ellence, and opportunity in FCPS and beyond. Vanessa Hall gave this speech in front of the FCPS School Board on January 23, 2025, which can be viewed here .

Haga clic en la foto para la traducción al español Threats of Deportation Harm Education of K-12 Students As if K-12 students didn’t have enough to worry about, now, some face the threat of forced deportation of themselves, their parents, and/or their friends. The president elect’s promise  to deport millions of undocumented immigrants has unnerved immigrant students, their parents, and their communities. His threat to  end birthright citizenship  adds an additional layer of cruelty to his mass deportation plans.  According to the American Immigration Council , forced deportation or even the threat of deportation has “significant physical, emotional, developmental, and economic repercussions for millions of children  across the country. Deportations of parents and other family members have serious consequences that affect children—including U.S.-citizen children—and extend to entire communities and the country as a whole.” Threats of mass deportation inhibit "people’s ability to function in society and for their kids to get an education” said Hiroshi Motomura , a professor at UCLA School of Law. An estimated six million minor children share a home with an undocumented family member, who is often a parent. Pew Research estimates  that 9 million people are “mixed status families” which include at least one “unauthorized adult” and at least one child born in the United States. If children of undocumented residents are U.S. citizens, then what happens to them if their parents or guardians are deported? Reuniting families may take years, particularly after an ill-defined mass deportation plan as has happened in this country previously.  A heartless solution to that problem was offered by Tom Homan , President Elect Trump’s nominee for Border Czar and formerly the head of the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When asked "Is there a way to carry out mass deportation without separating families?" he answered "Of course there is. Families can be deported together." One concern of educators is that vulnerable students will begin to stay home from school  to avoid opening their family up to the possibility of deportation. This is at the same time school systems across the country are making efforts to address chronic absenteeism  because the importance of school attendance to academic performance is well documented . With the recent efforts to improve student performance , it is counterproductive to create situations where absenteeism will reduce performance.  The Trump Deportation Plan During the first Trump administration, plans to deport students and their families terrified immigrant communities, but at least ICE had a policy that agents should not conduct enforcement actions near schools, hospitals, or places of worship. However, indications are that under the new Trump administration that policy will be changed and enforcement will become aggressive even in places formerly designated as off limits.  Currently, the president elect promises to double down  on the actions taken during his first term. Well before the 2025 inauguration, the newly elected administration is making plans  to deport close to 11 million people. This includes the expansion of detention facilities  for this purpose and deployment of the military for enforcement .  Surely, there will be substantial legal, economic, and political challenges  with such a plan, but President Elect Trump “ promises to brush aside hurdles  and mount a campaign modeled after the harsh roundups of the Eisenhower Administration, when the U.S. government expelled hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to Mexico. Accordingly, school systems are preparing for the worst, as details about the mass deportation plan are revealed. Past and current plans for aggressive enforcement by ICE resulted in the self-designation of a number of sanctuary jurisdictions  across the United States. Sanctuary cities, counties and states “have laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield [immigrants] from ICE — either by refusing to or prohibiting agencies from complying with ICE detainers, imposing unreasonable conditions on detainer acceptance, denying ICE access to interview incarcerated aliens, or otherwise impeding communication or information exchanges between their personnel and federal immigration officers.”  Fairfax County in Virginia has a Public Trust and Confidentiality Policy  that ensures that immigrant residents  can access county benefits and services without fear that the information they share will be disclosed to federal immigration officials. Fairfax County “believe(s) in keeping families together and protecting those who are most vulnerable and the trust policy specifies that this policy applies “regardless of their immigration or citizenship status”.  The objective of the policy was to increase opportunities and decrease crime in immigrant communities by giving residents protection from deportation if they reported crimes and sent their children to school. By all accounts this policy has been successful. Sadly, there are those who use disinformation to disparage immigrant communities and the policies that protect immigrants. For example, there are inaccurate reports of intricate “relationships among sanctuary cities, English Learners, boundary policies in Fairfax County Public School System, and political rantings about the 'Southern Border.'" Some suggest that undocumented students should not attend our public schools because of the cost to taxpayers but these people “wildly misunderstand the purpose and mission of public schools, which are to educate everyone--a point which is foundational to our nation and supported by numerous laws and regulations.”  Since the 1982 Supreme Court decision known as Pyler v. Doe , undocumented children have had the right to attend public school. However, recent challenges to that decision  are increasing and experts warn that the conservative-dominated Supreme Court  may overturn the precedent.  Strategies to Oppose Deportation Despite an aggressive campaign to reduce immigration, there are vigorous efforts to oppose deportation. Thanks to Jessica Craven of Chop Wood Carry Water , a compendium has been compiled by state organizations that support immigrants .  Mobilization for Justice  has provided information on what to do if ICE comes to your school  and a community of concerned K-12 educators and supporters of immigrant children, families, and communities produced and shared a  guide for schools with large immigrant populations .  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is intensely involved in opposing deportation of immigrants. The ACLU shares critical support by providing the history of laws and policies related to immigration , a warning of deceptive tactics that may be employed by ICE, details of their work on the fight for asylum , information on lawsuits against deportations , potential use of the Alien Enemies Act to rationalize detention of immigrants, and a way that President Biden can protect undocumented immigrants  before he leaves office. In addition, the ACLU offers a roadmap for opposing the planned mass deportation of immigrants.  Additional Resources What Do We Expect At The Beginning of Trump 2.0 and How You Can Get Prepared Immigration: Know your rights and deportation defense.  Deportation defense manual Know your rights: Immigrant Rights (in many languages) Asylum seekers: Consider taking these steps before January 2025 National Visitation Network Map: Sanctuary Cities, Counties, States  Turning election fear into immigrant power

La cuestión Como si los estudiantes de primaria y secundaria no tuvieran suficientes preocupaciones, ahora algunos enfrentan la amenaza de la deportación forzada de ellos mismos, de sus padres y/o de sus amigos. La promesa del presidente electo de deportar a millones de inmigrantes indocumentados ha inquietado a los estudiantes inmigrantes, a sus padres y a sus comunidades. Su amenaza de poner fin a la ciudadanía por derecho de nacimiento añade una capa adicional de crueldad a sus planes de deportación masiva. Según el Consejo Estadounidense de Inmigración ( American Immigration Council)  la deportación forzosa o incluso la amenaza de deportación tiene “ repercusiones físicas, emocionales, de desarrollo y económicas muy significativas para millones de niños en todo el país. Las deportaciones de padres y otros miembros de la familia tienen graves consecuencias que afectan a los niños, incluidos los niños ciudadanos estadounidenses, y se extienden a comunidades enteras y al país en su conjunto”. Hiroshi Motomura , profesor de la Facultad de Derecho de la UCLA, ha dicho que las amenazas de deportación masiva “inhiben la capacidad de las personas para funcionar en la sociedad y para que sus hijos obtengan una educación”. Se estima que seis millones de niños menores de edad comparten el hogar con un familiar indocumentado, que a menudo es uno de sus padres. Pew Research estima que 9 millones de personas son “familias de estatus mixto” que incluyen al menos un “adulto no autorizado” y al menos un niño nacido en los Estados Unidos. Si los hijos de residentes indocumentados son ciudadanos estadounidenses, ¿qué les sucede si sus padres o tutores son deportados? La reunificación familiar puede llevar años, sobre todo después de un plan de deportación masiva mal definido, como ha sucedido en este país anteriormente. Tom Homan, el candidato del presidente electo Trump para el cargo de zar fronterizo y ex director del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE), ofreció una solución despiadada a ese problema. Cuando se le preguntó si había alguna manera de llevar a cabo deportaciones masivas sin separar a las familias, respondió: "Por supuesto que sí. Se puede deportar a las familias juntas". Una de las preocupaciones de los educadores es que los estudiantes vulnerables comiencen a quedarse en casa sin ir a la escuela para evitar exponer a sus familias a la posibilidad de una deportación. Esto ocurre al mismo tiempo que los sistemas escolares de todo el país están haciendo esfuerzos para abordar el ausentismo crónico porque la importancia de la asistencia a la escuela para el rendimiento académico está bien documentada . Con los recientes esfuerzos por mejorar el rendimiento de los estudiantes , es contraproducente crear situaciones en las que el ausentismo reduzca el rendimiento.   El plan de deportación Durante la primera administración de Trump, los planes de deportar a estudiantes y sus familias aterrorizaban a las comunidades inmigrantes, pero al menos el ICE tenía una política según la cual los agentes no debían llevar a cabo acciones de control cerca de escuelas, hospitales o lugares de culto. Sin embargo, hay indicios de que bajo la nueva administración de Trump esa política cambiará y la aplicación de la ley se tornará más agresiva incluso en lugares que antes estaban designados como lugares prohibidos. Actualmente, el presidente electo ha prometido redoblar los esfuerzos en las acciones que tomó durante su primer mandato. Mucho antes de la toma de posesión en 2025, la nueva administración electa está haciendo planes para deportar a cerca de 11 millones de personas. Esto incluye la expansión de los centros de detención para este propósito y el despliegue de militares para la aplicación de la ley . Por supuesto, un plan de este tipo enfrentará importantes desafíos legales, económicos y políticos, pero el presidente electo Trump “ promete superar los obstáculos y montar una campaña inspirada en las duras redadas de la administración de Eisenhower, cuando el gobierno estadounidense expulsó a cientos de miles de trabajadores migrantes a México”. En consecuencia, los sistemas escolares se están preparando para lo peor, a medida que se revelan los detalles sobre el plan de deportación masiva. Los planes pasados y actuales de aplicación agresiva de la ley por parte del ICE dieron como resultado la autodesignación de varias jurisdicciones santuario en todo Estados Unidos. Las ciudades, condados y estados santuario “ tienen leyes, ordenanzas, reglamentos, resoluciones, políticas u otras prácticas que obstruyen la aplicación de la ley migratoria y protegen [a los inmigrantes] del ICE, ya sea negándose a cumplir con las órdenes administrativas de detención del ICE o prohibiéndoles hacerlo, imponiendo condiciones poco razonables para la aceptación de las órdenes administrativas de detención, negando al ICE el acceso para entrevistar a extranjeros encarcelados o impidiendo de otro modo la comunicación o el intercambio de información entre su personal y los funcionarios federales de inmigración”. El condado de Fairfax en Virginia tiene una Política de Confidencialidad y Confianza Pública que garantiza que los residentes inmigrantes puedan acceder a los beneficios y servicios del condado sin temor a que la información que compartan sea divulgada a los funcionarios federales de inmigración. El condado de Fairfax “cree en mantener unidas a las familias y proteger a los más vulnerables y la política de confianza especifica que esta política se aplica “independientemente de su estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía”. El objetivo de esta política era aumentar las oportunidades y reducir la delincuencia en las comunidades inmigrantes, brindándoles protección contra la deportación si denunciaban los delitos y enviaban a sus hijos a la escuela. Todo parece indicar que esta política ha tenido éxito. Lamentablemente, hay quienes utilizan la desinformación para desprestigiar a las comunidades inmigrantes y las políticas que las protegen. Por ejemplo, hay informes inexactos sobre “ relaciones causales entre las ‘ciudades santuario’, los estudiantes de inglés, las políticas de límites en el sistema escolar público del condado de Fairfax y desvaríos políticos sobre la ‘frontera sur’. Algunos sugieren que los estudiantes indocumentados no deberían asistir a nuestras escuelas públicas debido al costo para los contribuyentes, pero estas personas “malinterpretan enormemente el propósito y la misión de las escuelas públicas, que son educar a todos , un punto que es fundamental para nuestra nación y respaldado por numerosas leyes y regulaciones”. Desde la decisión de la Corte Suprema de 1982 conocida como  En el caso Pyler v. Doe , los niños indocumentados tenían derecho a asistir a la escuela pública. Sin embargo, los desafíos a esa decisión están aumentando y los expertos advierten que la Corte Suprema, dominada por los conservadores, podría revocar el precedente.   Estrategias para oponerse a la deportación A pesar de una campaña agresiva para reducir la inmigración, existen esfuerzos vigorosos para oponerse a la deportación. Gracias a Jessica Craven de Chop Wood Carry Water, un compendio ha  sido compilado sobre las organizaciones estatales que apoyan a los inmigrantes . Movilización por la Justicia ( Mobilization for Justice) ha proporcionado información sobre qué hacer si ICE llega a su escuela y una comunidad de educadores K-12 preocupados y partidarios de niños, familias y comunidades inmigrantes produjo y compartió una guía para escuelas con grandes poblaciones de inmigrantes . La Unión Estadounidense por las Libertades Civiles (ACLU, por sus siglas en inglés) está intensamente involucrada en la oposición a la deportación de inmigrantes. La ACLU comparte un apoyo fundamental al proporcionar la historia de las leyes y políticas relacionadas con la inmigración , una advertencia sobre las tácticas engañosas que puede emplear el ICE, detalles de su trabajo en la lucha por el asilo , información sobre demandas contra las deportaciones , el posible uso de la Ley de Enemigos Extranjeros para racionalizar la detención de inmigrantes y una forma en que el presidente Biden puede proteger a los inmigrantes indocumentados antes de dejar el cargo. Además, la ACLU ofrece una hoja de ruta para oponerse a la deportación masiva planeada de inmigrantes. Recursos adicionales ¿Qué esperamos del inicio de Trump 2.0 y cómo podemos prepararnos? Inmigración: Conozca sus derechos y defensa de deportación. Manual de defensa contra la deportación Conozca sus derechos: Derechos de los inmigrantes (en varios idiomas) Solicitantes de asilo: consideren tomar estas medidas antes de enero de 2025 Red Nacional de Visitas Mapa: Ciudades, condados y estados santuario Cómo transformar el miedo electoral en poder de los inmigrantes Recursos adicionales ¿Qué esperamos del inicio de Trump 2.0 y cómo podemos prepararnos? Inmigración: Conozca sus derechos y defensa de deportación. Manual de defensa contra la deportación Conozca sus derechos: Derechos de los inmigrantes (en varios idiomas) Solicitantes de asilo: consideren tomar estas medidas antes de enero de 2025 Red Nacional de Visitas Mapa: Ciudades, condados y estados santuario Cómo transformar el miedo electoral en poder de los inmigrantes