Educators and activists rally to save our schools

On Feb. 12, a bundled-up group of educators, activists, labor leaders and elected officials braved freezing rain on the snow-covered lawn of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., to demand that lawmakers protect our schools, our kids and our teachers. The refrain? Get billionaire Elon Musk out of the government’s business and save our schools.

AFT President Randi Weingarten reminded the crowd what was at stake. “We cannot let them pull the rug out from under our students,” she said. “We are fighting for all of G-d’s children.”

The rally took place one day ahead of secretary of education nominee Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing and against a backdrop of threats to dismantle the Department of Education, which disburses funding for schools in low-income neighborhoods and for students with disabilities. Other speakers included Sen. Bernie Sanders, National Education Association President Becky Pringle, MomsRising Executive Director and CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, in addition to students and teachers.

“I assumed a few months ago that what we would be doing right now is fighting for more funds,” Weingarten said. “Look what we have to do instead.”

A voice in the crowd responded with “We’ll do it!”

“Instead of fighting for our future,” she continued, “we have to protect our future. This is not efficiency, it’s evisceration.”

Signs in the crowd reflected Weingarten’s sentiments, with phrases like “Make America Smart Again,” and “Democracy dies in darkness … public schools shed light.”

“We have a job to do,” she said. “Each and every day between now and whenever that budget gets passed, we have to fight for all our children so that they have a future.”

[Melanie Boyer]