On Friday, Education advocates and congressional Democrats held a rally in Washington, D.C., to demand protections for the Department of Education.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning. Good morning.
00:14Welcome and I want to thank
00:14everyone for coming out this
00:18morning. My name is Portia
00:18Allen Kyle, and I have the
00:19honor of leading color of
00:24change. We're here this morning
00:26with our partners with brave
00:28civil servants, those who have
00:28served our country nobly who
00:29have worked saving our public
00:31schools. I myself am a product
00:39of public education, and I won't
00:41talk long, but I do want to
00:42share a quick story about the
00:43importance of this moment of
00:46education, of the pathways and
00:48opportunities that it provides
00:49and why this administration's
00:52attack on the Department of
00:53Education and on civil rights is
00:56so critical for both today and
00:59our families in the future. My
01:02grandmother graduated from
01:03southern university in HBCU in
01:071943. And at that time, the
01:11only job that she could get in
01:14a school was cleaning it. It
01:17wasn't until the civil rights
01:18act and protections against
01:21discrimination and requirements
01:22to hire and look broader where
01:25she was finally able to get a
01:27job as a teacher years later
01:30after trying. And that job as a
01:32teacher allowed her to put her
01:34six children through college.
01:37That job as a teacher allowed
01:39her to live her life until 96
01:41in the comfort and the benefits
01:43of retirement because that is
01:45what public service, civil
01:48service and government jobs
01:49provides for families. It's
01:51stability. It's opportunity.
01:55One of her children, my uncle,
01:58was in the class at UC Davis
02:02med school that would later
02:04become the topic of the case in
02:07the affirmative action case
02:09backy versus board of education,
02:11board of regents. It is civil
02:14rights and it is affirmative
02:15action and it is the legacy that
02:18DEI, that diversity, equity and
02:20inclusion, that access to
02:22opportunity, that antidiscrimination
02:24protections, it is that legacy
02:26that we are fighting for. It's
02:30that legacy that brings us here
02:32today to protect our kids, to
02:34protect our public schools, to
02:36protect our resources because we
02:38know that education is the
02:40cornerstone of a functioning
02:42democracy. We know that
02:45education is the pathway to
02:47opportunity. And we know that
02:50education is the pathway to
02:52opportunity. And many of the
02:54folks standing behind me today
02:56are educators, are civil
02:58servants, right? Have taken it
03:00and made it their life's work
03:02and their life's mission to
03:04expand that access and that
03:06opportunity for generations and
03:08hundreds and thousands of kids
03:10across the country. And so we
03:12thank you for that fight, for
03:14that energy. We thank you for
03:16that service. We are here to
03:18stand by you today against this
03:20administration. We are here to
03:22stand by you today against these
03:24fights. We are here against
03:26these firings, these mass
03:28layoffs. We are here to stand
03:30by you today as a reminder that
03:32you are not alone. We have
03:34elected officials who are here
03:36today. We have teachers. We have
03:38advocates. We have NEA and our
03:40union members. We have career
03:44public servants who have had
03:46their livelihoods stolen not
03:48because of performance but
03:50because of a tax on opportunity.
03:52Not because of waste or fraud
03:54but because of a tax on
03:56opportunity, because of an
03:58agenda that is seeking to
04:00undermine civil rights in our
04:02infrastructure, because of an
04:04agenda of neo-segregationists
04:06that are attempting to rid black
04:08people, people of color, people
04:10with disabilities, LGBTQ folks
04:12from public life and from our
04:14history. That is why we are
04:16here. And we're here to fight.
04:19And we're here to fight. And so
04:21this fight isn't the beginning.
04:23This rally isn't the beginning.
04:25But it sure is important and
04:27doesn't it feel good to stand
04:29out on the side, standing for
04:31what we believe and hearing how
04:33many folks passing by believe
04:35that right along with us. And
04:37so we're united by this idea
04:39that government should serve
04:41people. That we're going to
04:43continue. We're only a month
04:45and a half in. We're going to
04:47be here. We're going to keep
04:49fighting. And without further
04:51ado, I'd like to bring up
04:53Senator Mazie Hirono.
04:55Aloha, everybody.
04:57Aloha.
04:59Portia, you're fantastic.
05:01So we're in the midst of chaos.
05:03Trump thinks that he and his
05:05pal Musk think that they can
05:07take a chainsaw to government
05:09agencies and they've been
05:11slashing and burning and firing
05:13thousands of people for no
05:15cause. And just recently, of
05:17course, we sent a letter to
05:19the Department of Education.
05:21But we are all here to fight
05:23back because this is no time
05:25to be sitting back thinking
05:27that other people are going to
05:29fight the battles for us. No,
05:31we are in it together. And you
05:33know what? I am a product of
05:35my public schools. I want you
05:37to know that I came here as an
05:39immigrant. I didn't speak a
05:41single word of English. There
05:43was no ESL back there at the
05:45school that I went to cobble
05:47because I don't think it was
05:49the F word, but I think that
05:51would be appropriate right now.
05:53So they created a lunch program
05:55because we also didn't have
05:57school lunches, yet another
05:59thing that the federal government
06:01provides to so many of our kids
06:03across our country for whom that
06:05meal could be the one meal that
06:07they can count on every day.
06:09And so school lunch is really
06:11important. And then when I was
06:13in college, I paid for part of
06:15my college education through
06:17work-study, yet another federal
06:19program. So I stand before you
06:21in full understanding of how
06:23important our education is, how
06:25foundational our public schools
06:27are, how it enabled me to stand
06:29with you today as we fight back
06:31on all this chaos, all of this.
06:33To say that Trump disrespects
06:35workers, that hardly suffices.
06:37And so when I was in college, I
06:39paid for part of my college
06:41education through work-study,
06:43yet another federal program. So
06:45what he is not expecting is all
06:47of us using our voices and
06:49fighting back because IDEA is
06:51important. There are millions of
06:53kids throughout our country who
06:55need that kind of special
06:57education, the millions of kids
06:59who are in Title I schools. In
07:01fact, most of the schools across
07:03our country are Title I schools.
07:05At least in Hawaii, they are.
07:07And I would think in the rest of
07:09the country, whether you're in a
07:11blue state or a red state, Title
07:13I schools that help kids from
07:15families, you know, get an
07:17education. And so I know that
07:19you guys know how important the
07:21federal Department of Education
07:23is. And even though we have a
07:25president who would like to get
07:27rid of the Department of
07:29Education, who says to his
07:31Secretary of Education, I want
07:33you to work yourself out of a
07:35job, we know how important
07:37education is. We cannot sell
07:39like him, sell like Trump.
07:41We cannot sell like Trump.
07:43We cannot sell like Trump.
07:45We have to sell the future of
07:47our children and our country
07:49down the river so that his
07:51billionaire buddies can run our
07:53country and get their tax breaks.
07:55So this is just the beginning.
07:57I am expecting that parents are
07:59going to figure out what's going
08:01on and the fact that their
08:03children's futures are being
08:05stolen, they will raise their
08:07voices. We need to help them do
08:09that. And I will stand with you.
08:11Believe me, I represent a hell
08:13of a lot of Democrats all across
08:15the country who stand with you.
08:17So it's good to be with all of
08:19you today. Mahalo nui loa.
08:21Aloha.
08:23Thank you, Senator.
08:25Thank you, Senator.
08:27Thank you, Senator.
08:29Thank you, Senator.
08:31And next to the stand, the
08:33wonderful Kim Anderson.
08:35That's right. Let's go, Kim.
08:37Good morning.
08:39Good morning.
08:41My name is Kim Anderson. I'm
08:43the Executive Director of
08:45the National Education
08:47Association. I stand here
08:49proudly representing America's
08:51educators.
08:53We have educators here
08:55from Pennsylvania,
08:57Maryland, Virginia,
08:59Tennessee, North Carolina,
09:01Wisconsin, Kansas,
09:03and many more.
09:05Let me say
09:07to you, Mr. Trump
09:09and Mr. Musk,
09:11that we are
09:13going to stand
09:15in your
09:17way.
09:19The chainsaw
09:21and the wrecking ball
09:23is coming after the
09:2550 million students
09:27that go to our public
09:29schools. 90% of America's
09:31children go to public
09:33schools, and 91%
09:35of students with
09:37disabilities go to public
09:39schools.
09:42I'm looking at this
09:44building, and I
09:46see empty windows.
09:48I see empty windows
09:50with people who should
09:52be at their desks helping
09:54students achieve their
09:56full potential. Dedicated
09:58public servants.
10:00Dedicated public
10:02servants.
10:04You know, these
10:06cuts, this isn't just
10:08about a department and a
10:10building. This is about
10:12federal streams of money that
10:14help students live into their
10:16full potential.
10:18This agenda is about cutting
10:20funding and shipping it to
10:22private schools. It is about
10:24vouchers. Make no mistake
10:26about it. It is about
10:28dismantling public
10:30education so that children
10:32cannot get what they
10:34deserve. Over
10:36400,000
10:38educators will be lost if
10:40this agenda goes through.
10:42The cuts will be devastating.
10:44They are irresponsible. It
10:46is a travesty. Our
10:48children are our
10:50nation's future.
10:52America's public
10:54schools provide the
10:56foundation for an
10:58informed citizenry. We
11:00can't have a functioning
11:02democracy without informed
11:04citizens. America's public
11:06schools form the foundation
11:08and the fuel for our economy.
11:10We can't have a country on
11:12earth without public
11:14education. America's public
11:16schools form the glue for
11:18small, for strong
11:20communities. For
11:22inclusive, welcoming, safe
11:24communities in which
11:26everybody can be who they
11:28want to be.
11:30This isn't some
11:32hypothetical agenda. These
11:34are real things happening
11:36right now out in America.
11:38We heard from an educator
11:40in Maryland who told us
11:42students with
11:44disabilities, helping
11:46them transition out of
11:48high school. Her job was
11:50eliminated two weeks ago
11:52because the funding was
11:54cut. We heard from the
11:56former teacher of the year
11:58in Kansas who also teaches
12:00students with disabilities.
12:02They risk losing 4,000
12:04educator jobs if the
12:06Department of Education
12:08and its programs are gutted.
12:10I'm here to ask you,
12:12what happens when a
12:14child with dyslexia
12:16doesn't get the speech
12:18and language pathology
12:20needs that they deserve?
12:22What happens when the
12:24child gets sick and there's
12:26no school nurse to help
12:28them get better? What
12:30happens when parents lose
12:32income or possibly their
12:34jobs because the after
12:36school program closes down
12:38because there isn't Title
12:40V? What happens when
12:42there's no bus coming
12:44because the school closes?
12:46What happens, Secretary
12:48McMahon? What happens?
12:50Who's going to fill in
12:52these gaps for America's
12:54students? Who? Well, I'm
12:56here to tell you, we, the
12:58educators, parents,
13:00communities, Americans
13:02across this country, whether
13:04you are in a blue state or
13:06a red state or a purple
13:08state, no matter what your
13:10background is, we are going
13:12to fight for what works
13:14and we're going to fight
13:16for our children because
13:18there's no amount of
13:20billionaires who are going
13:22to rob and cheat and steal
13:24America's future. Thank
13:26you.
13:28We are fired
13:30up.
13:32Next to the
13:34podium, Brittany
13:36Myatt.
13:38Hi.
13:40Thank you, Portia, for
13:42the introduction. For
13:44legal purposes, I'm
13:46speaking here not as a
13:48government employee or on
13:50behalf of any government
13:52entity, but in both my
13:54right to free speech under
13:56the First Amendment.
13:58As an individual heartbroken
14:00by the current circumstances
14:02facing the American
14:04educational landscape, as an
14:06individual who was once a
14:08student that found safety at
14:10school when home wasn't, as
14:12an individual who became a
14:14teacher to try to foster
14:16that same safety for students
14:18with disabilities, as an
14:20individual whose voice as a
14:22teacher was too small to
14:24make a difference in a broken
14:26system, and now as a civil
14:28rights attorney whose heart
14:30is broken by the system once
14:32again. Heartbroken,
14:34silenced, unprecedented,
14:36finding a single word to
14:38define the platform I now
14:40stand at, impossible. For
14:42the students whose voices
14:44are now silenced, I'm
14:46heartbroken. For the
14:48recipients whose guidance is
14:50now abandoned, I'm
14:52speechless. Civil rights
14:54should not be a 21st century
14:56debate. Yet today I
14:58stand here with the deepest
15:00heartache. Because in
15:021964, civil rights were
15:04memorialized in law, yet are
15:06infringed upon today as the
15:08last day of civil rights. I
15:10love this country and all of
15:12its freedoms and pray for
15:14God to show up because we
15:16definitely need him. I see
15:18him at work in all of your
15:20tears and cry in solidarity
15:22today with terrifying fears.
15:24I fear that students whose
15:26differences used to be
15:28celebrated now cower in fear
15:30that their uniqueness is
15:32hated. I fear that students
15:34with different colors of skin
15:36will not be heard when they're
15:38asked to speak. I fear that
15:40the voices of communities,
15:42homes and schools who are
15:44now leaving them voiceless,
15:46it's just simply cruel.
15:48Whose leaders and adults
15:50within their lives no longer
15:52have the power to end their
15:54strife.
15:56We got you.
16:00These students and families
16:02are struggling to face the
16:04world that hate continues to
16:06create. These schools have
16:08lost a valuable asset as OCR
16:10had become a familiar facet.
16:12To the important work that's
16:14done day in and day out at
16:16schools across the nation
16:18serving diverse students
16:20throughout. To the students
16:22learning and growing up now,
16:24I wish I could take away your
16:26heartache somehow. I want to
16:28say sorry to these students
16:30today and that the adults
16:32leading you have left you
16:34betrayed, have left you
16:35betrayed to fend on your own
16:37without enforcing the laws
16:39designed to protect your
16:41homes. Designed to protect
16:43your homes, your schools,
16:45your communities, your rights
16:47as learners should come with
16:49impunities. Impunities to be
16:51your very best self and learn
16:53from our example instead of
16:55just books on the shelf.
16:57Students should be free to
16:59be who they are without the
17:01fear of harassment that brings
17:03so many scars.
17:05Harassment, discrimination,
17:07and bullying abound as the
17:09adults meant to fight these
17:11are now nowhere to be found.
17:13I stand before you today
17:15and apologize for leaving
17:17this OCR family for unspoken
17:19reasons. I'll continue to
17:21fight for your God-given
17:23civil rights and wish this
17:25simple poem brings about
17:27new light. New light to
17:29students who long to be
17:31heard. New light to schools
17:33doing as they legally should.
17:35New light to those like me
17:37who are now grieving this
17:39statutory institution we never
17:41expected to be leaving. God
17:43bless this country throughout
17:45these dark days and give her
17:47students the courage to face
17:49this unending hate. We love
17:51you dear students and we'll
17:53find a way to make your voice
17:55heard at the end of the day.
17:57Thank you, Brittany. And
17:59let's hear it one more time
18:01for our public servants.
18:03The impacts of this fight
18:05are broad. I'm bringing
18:07up next to the podium the
18:09formidable leader of the
18:11American Association of
18:13People with Disabilities,
18:15Maria Towne.
18:17Maria Towne.
18:19Maria Towne.
18:21Maria Towne.
18:23Maria Towne.
18:25Maria Towne.
18:27Maria Towne.
18:29Maria Towne.
18:31Maria.
18:33Give it to her, Maria.
18:35Yes.
18:37Yes, very good.
18:39Thank you, Portia.
18:41Good morning.
18:43Good morning.
18:45As Portia mentioned, my
18:47name is Maria Towne and
18:49I serve as the president
18:51and CEO of the American
18:53Association of People with
18:55But before I was ever in this role, before I could even dream of being in this role,
19:04I was a disabled kid in public schools getting special education services because of the
19:12Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that is enforced by the U.S. Department of
19:21Education.
19:23I was a student getting adaptive physical therapy at school.
19:30I was a student getting mental health counseling at school.
19:37I was getting developmental assessments at school.
19:45My first experiences with inclusion, my whole idea of what was possible for myself as a
19:53disabled kid who saw no one else like me in my community, happened because I was included
20:03at school.
20:04And at 10 years old, I knew about something that Secretary McMahon still does not.
20:18I understood my rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section
20:25504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
20:31The reason that I can stand before you today and figure out how to make this moment accessible
20:37for me is because I started advocating for myself in my Individualized Education Program
20:44meetings, my IEP meetings.
20:49Today, there are more than 7 million students who receive special education services in
20:56schools.
20:57And it's not just students in K-12.
21:01The Department of Education makes career and technical education accessible and inclusive.
21:09College education inclusive.
21:12We also cannot forget about vocational rehabilitation.
21:17It makes it possible for disabled people to get jobs after we've gotten inclusive education.
21:26Because so many of our systems in the United States are underfunded and under-resourced,
21:31we place the burden on our schools and educators.
21:35Think about everything I just went through with you.
21:38Mental health counseling, physical therapy, education, vocational training, all at the
21:45Department of Education, all of it.
21:48We should not be tearing this critical institution down.
21:52We should be building it up.
21:56And we should be building up all of those people who work within it, from career federal
22:04servants, to our teachers, to our paraprofessionals, our administrators, and most importantly,
22:10most critically, our students.
22:17We can talk about how our democracy relies on a solid education, opportunity relies on
22:25a solid education.
22:26Our humanity, at its core, relies on a robust education system.
22:37So with that, I'll say thank you, save the U.S. Department of Education, save our kids,
22:42save our communities.
23:02We've heard from our civil servants, we've heard from our union leaders.
23:08Next up, let's hear from a teacher from Baltimore County Public Schools, Vernon Faines.
23:16Hello, everybody.
23:23As said, my name is Vernon Faines.
23:25I'm a proud art educator in Baltimore County, Maryland, at Pine Grove Middle School.
23:32It has been difficult to process all that's been happening so fast and senseless.
23:39You can't help but think about what public schools will look like when the department
23:45well, if the Department of Education is dismantled and destroyed.
23:52And then there is Linda McMahon, the dishonorable Linda McMahon, who has no idea about the potential
24:00impact of the executive orders and what it means to the Department of Ed, to our students
24:07and our families.
24:10She has no idea what it's like to be an educator and about the potential impact it will have on us.
24:17She does not understand what our students' needs and challenges are.
24:21She has no idea about what it's like to be a parent of a student with different abilities,
24:27who sends their best to us every day and entrusts us to make sure that they're provided the
24:34experiences and educational experiences their children deserve.
24:39Like the parents of my student Harley, who has autism spectrum disorder and has an IEP.
24:46How can we support this learning without the resources?
24:49How can we support him without the resources and the staff that we need in our buildings?
24:55She has no idea what it's like for an educator to take the time to get to know what our students'
25:01needs are, what their strengths are, what barriers are there in order to create goals
25:07that would provide them the best path to success.
25:11Like David, who has a 504 plan and relies on reading supports with the future of Section 504 at risk,
25:21he could potentially lose basic civil rights protections that Section 504 provides.
25:30Imagine the services that would be denied to him.
25:33It would be devastating to the educational program of any student needing accommodations.
25:40She has no idea what it's like to be a paraeducator or support professional,
25:45the backbone of our institutions.
25:48They are essential and often overlooked as a workforce.
25:53These dangerous decisions from the White House will negatively impact their roles
25:58and their professional development.
26:00Like my friend, Ms. Patty, who is a paraeducator in my building.
26:04She would do whatever it takes, however long it takes, to support the diverse needs
26:10and diverse strengths of every student in our building.
26:14She herself is a parent whose son has different needs and is passionate about her work.
26:20It would be horrible to lose her.
26:25She has no idea, nor does she care, to learn about students like Jayden,
26:31who experiences severe anxiety and has specific sensory needs,
26:37or about Allie, who has limb differences.
26:41It would be difficult to be able to address her individual needs
26:45as a student who can thrive with proper funding that allows me to purchase
26:51specific adaptive art tools to support her growth.
26:55Because McMahon has no experience in a classroom,
26:59she simply wants to grab power and wield privilege to weaken our public education system.
27:07Limiting access to the appropriate curriculum for all of our students
27:12and supports for millions of children.
27:15So let us do what we have done historically as human beings
27:19when faced with injustice or a crisis.
27:22We connect, we collaborate on purpose and disrupt the process.
27:27And to teach McMahon what value the Department of Education brings to all of us
27:32and what really matters to our public school students, educations and their families.
27:37And we really need to encourage her to look for a more just way to work herself out of a job.
27:46One that does not harm our most vulnerable students and their families.
27:51Let's make sure this current administration does not continue to steal
27:55valuable resources from public education, from our schools
27:59and weaken equal access to much needed services and supports.
28:05Because all students belong to all of us, but some just need a little bit more.
28:19Next up to the podium, Cindy Benavides from AQI, the Accountability Movement.
28:29Buenos dias.
28:30Buenos dias.
28:31Good morning.
28:33Good morning.
28:34Thank you to the organizers of this rally for joining in this fight.
28:40I'm Cindy Benavides, the founding executive director of AQI, the Accountability Movement.
28:48And I'd like to share some words for our community in Spanish.
28:52But before I do, silence is complicity.
28:59Silence is complicity.
29:03Nuestro mensaje hoy es simple.
29:06En un momento como este, el silencio es complicidad.
29:11Si te quedas de brazos cursados mientras que nuestra comunidad es atacada
29:17por el beneficio político de otros, tu silencio permite que la crueldad se multiplique.
29:24No importa por quien votaste.
29:27Cuando miremos atrás a este momento,
29:32no vamos a contarle a nuestros hijos sobre el día que defendimos a nuestras familias,
29:37a nuestros estudiantes con valentía.
29:41No vamos a agachar la cabeza arrepentidos de haber mantenido el silencio,
29:46permitiendo que la crueldad gane.
29:49Nosotros somos América.
29:51We are America.
29:54Education is the foundation of opportunity in America.
29:59Education is a basic human right.
30:07The reckless decision to dismantle the Department of Education
30:12and cut half of its staff
30:14is a direct attack on millions of students.
30:18Particularly vulnerable children and other marginalized communities
30:22who rely on federal protections, funding, and oversight to access a quality education.
30:30We know that this is a tactic.
30:32We know that they seek to keep our communities oppressed.
30:36We see it.
30:38You see, lack of access to a quality education exacerbates poverty.
30:43You see, lack of access to a quality education exacerbates poverty,
30:47negative health outcomes, and equality.
30:52This move threatens decades of progressive civil rights enforcement,
30:57bilingual education, and equitable resources for our nation's students.
31:03Education is the foundation of opportunity in America.
31:08By eliminating the very institution designed to uphold that promise,
31:14this administration is turning its back on American families,
31:19particularly students who already face systemic barriers in our schools.
31:26This decision will exacerbate educational inequities,
31:31stripping funding from under-resourced schools,
31:34and weakening accountability for states and local districts,
31:38jeopardizing the future of an entire generation
31:42that will hinder our economic growth and our nation.
31:47We refuse to be silent while this administration dismantles that promise.
31:53Here, we will fight alongside our students, parents, educators,
32:00advocates in the community to resist this dangerous action
32:04and demand that our leaders uphold the fundamental promise of education for all.
32:11And you see what this means.
32:13Department of Education cuts equals losing federal protections for students.
32:20Department of Education cuts equals many after-school care programs that will be lost.
32:26Department of Education cuts equals even fewer teachers.
32:30Department of Education cuts equals less financial aid for college students.
32:36Department of Education cuts equals school funding cuts when schools already struggling.
32:43We are living in a dangerous time in America.
32:47And our children will read the history of this moment.
32:53And we will proudly say to them, we are standing up for you.
33:04And I hope that they hear here and all the way to the White House
33:09Who has the power?
33:11We have the power.
33:13Who has the power?
33:15We have the power.
33:17Who has the power?
33:19We have the power.
33:21We will not let them forget that this country was built on the backs of the people.
33:29We are the people and we are the power.
33:34We are the people and we are the power.
33:44And today is a reminder, it is the people who have the power.
33:48Next up, Amy Lloyd from All4Ed.
33:53Good morning, everybody.
34:03What a day, what a moment.
34:05My name is Amy Lloyd.
34:07I am the CEO of All4Ed, which is a national nonprofit organization
34:11that works from the classroom to Congress to strengthen and improve our education system.
34:16But for the past four years, I worked in this building right here.
34:20I've been the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education here at the Office of Education.
34:27I started my career as a proud public school teacher.
34:30I am the daughter of two public school teachers in CTE and in special education.
34:35Thank you, I just lost my Rebel Alliance pin.
34:38But you know the spirit still lives in me.
34:41For over 25 years, my work in education has been dedicated to leveraging education
34:47as the springboard in our nation to opportunity, to economic and social mobility.
34:51We all believe, everyone right here believes, that education transforms lives.
34:57We know it does.
34:59It's the key to unlocking the American dream.
35:01It is the way that we all can live lives of purpose and joy and connection and prosperity.
35:07And my organization, All4Ed, recently polled over 4,000 Americans across our country
35:14We, the people, do not want to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
35:18We, the people, we share a deep commitment as a nation to our public education system.
35:25We, the people, are firmly and fully committed to career-connected learning
35:31through career and technical education, career and college pathways,
35:35our incredible community colleges, adult education, and lifelong reskilling and upskilling for all of us.
35:41We know education is workforce development, education is economic development.
35:49Career-connected education provides some of the most meaningful hands-on, hearts-on,
35:53minds-on learning opportunities and experiences for our students to develop
35:57and apply in practice the knowledge, skills, and credentials that our country needs to power our future.
36:03And this is a beautifully bipartisan space.
36:05This is a really rare thing to find in our nation right now, a place where we all agree.
36:10And when I was at Ed, I loved working across the aisle and across the nation
36:14to advance career, technical, and adult education because this is a space that we have common ground in.
36:20Even Secretary McMahon believes in this space, supposedly.
36:23But rather than slashing and burning the agency, supporting our education system
36:27to strengthen our workforce, to build our economy through career-connected learning,
36:32we should be lifting up the agency right now.
36:35We should be investing in the teams right here at the U.S. Department of Education
36:41and increasing funding for our states to invest in this critical space.
36:44But that is not what's happening right now.
36:46The team that I had the honor of leading for the past four years was phenomenal.
36:51They cared so deeply about every single state, every single community, every single student in our nation.
36:57And I got to travel across our country.
37:01I did site visits to really lift up and learn from the work of career and technical education and adult education.
37:07From rural Kentucky to Seattle, from rural Arizona to Manhattan,
37:12I heard from the field how much they appreciated the career civil servants at the U.S. Department of Education.
37:19They were the heart of the relationship that helped the field strengthen their practice.
37:23My former colleagues here at the U.S. Department of Education built meaningful relationships
37:28with state and education leaders.
37:30And the amazing public servants at Ed behind us and those who are no longer at the department,
37:35these aren't anonymous bureaucrats.
37:37These are real people.
37:39These are real people.
37:41These are the go-tos for our education system.
37:43They're the trusted supports for our education leaders.
37:46They're real people who work very hard every day to make a real difference in the lives of our students,
37:51our educators, and our communities.
37:53And they've given their lives to public service.
37:56And today, right now, less than a third of the talented, patriotic, caring team
38:01leading my office in career, technical, and adult education,
38:04less than a third remains here at the department.
38:06Over two out of three of my former team are not working here right now today.
38:11And this attack on our public servants started first with forced administrative leave
38:15for diversity, equity, and inclusion training, which strengthens our schools, frankly.
38:20And they took that training during the first Trump administration.
38:24Now they're not working.
38:26The second round was two rounds of basically forced buyouts
38:30made under duress and threat of maybe losing your job anyway.
38:33And the third round happened this week with the massive firings that we all learned and heard about.
38:38Entire divisions focused on state and local capacity building, educator development,
38:44innovation, excellence, data transparency, quality, ensuring that we build
38:48and have the evidence base for we know what works,
38:50and organizational effectiveness all have been cut.
38:53And I think about this overall with the agency.
38:55What does it tell you about the directionality of our nation's education system
38:59when this administration is firing those who are fighting discrimination,
39:03those who are upholding the law,
39:05those who are ensuring people can access higher education
39:08and have opportunities to grow and thrive,
39:10and those who ensure that we have the transparency to know how our students are doing
39:14and we can build that evidence base and share it for what works for our kids.
39:18This is really grim. This is a moment.
39:21But what really keeps me up at night is how the 11.4 million students who I got to serve
39:26pursuing career and technical education in middle and high schools,
39:29in community and technical colleges,
39:31and the 1.2 million adult learners who were really overcoming such challenges
39:37to return to education were pursuing opportunities to better themselves.
39:41They are the ones who are ultimately bearing the brunt of what this administration is doing
39:45to cut the department and to undermine our public education system.
39:49These are our high school students in South Bend, Indiana,
39:51who are literally studying aviation and building a plane and learning to fly it.
39:57These are community college students in Kern County Community College
40:00in the San Joaquin Valley who are leading in carbon recapture technology
40:04and building a dynamic workforce that feeds, fuels, and defends our nation.
40:09These are adults who our education system has failed previously
40:13but are courageously persisting to return to earn their high school diploma or equivalency
40:17get credentials so that they can get a better job, launch a career, and support their families.
40:21This is our nation's future, people.
40:23This is our nation's future.
40:25Healthcare workforce, our technology workforce, our future educators,
40:30our advanced manufacturing workforce.
40:32This is all of us.
40:34And our nation's future hangs in the balance right now.
40:36I cannot underestimate how important this moment in time is.
40:40Education is not a political plaything.
40:42It is the future of our nation.
40:46And I have so much gratitude for everyone in our federal workforce,
40:49but especially those here from and at the U.S. Department of Education.
40:58My heart is with the many who have lost their jobs.
41:00I really, truly appreciate those who are courageously persisting,
41:04remaining at Ed, and doing all they can to continue to support excellent,
41:08equitable, and innovation education for all of us and our students.
41:13And I think about the very principles of our nation,
41:15and our democracy hangs in the balance.
41:17Education is our future.
41:19It's our workforce. It's our democracy.
41:21And we must continue to stand for Ed,
41:24and stand for life, liberty, equity, and education for all.
41:28Thank you, everybody.
41:36And for our final speaker, I'd like to bring up
41:38Kerry Rodriguez from the National Parents Union.
41:43Good morning, everybody.
41:47My name is Kerry Rodriguez,
41:49and I'm the president of the National Parents Union.
41:51I represent 1,800 pockets of parent power
41:54in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico,
41:58with about 1.8 million families as part of our network.
42:02But my most important job in my whole life
42:06is being Matthew, Miles, David, Max, and Dylan's mom.
42:13I have five sons.
42:15Three have IEPs.
42:17One has a 504.
42:19They are in 6th through 11th grade.
42:21And I am here to say
42:23that Donald Trump and Linda McMahon,
42:27you have picked a fight with the wrong mamas.
42:33Because what is happening right now,
42:35this is not reform.
42:37This is not efficiency.
42:39This is sabotage.
42:43And we will have none of it.
42:47Let's talk about why this building exists.
42:51Because I think some people fail to remember
42:54why we have a U.S. Department of Education.
42:57Because when I hear people say,
42:59education should just go back to the states,
43:02I have to ask, back to what exactly?
43:06Back to when six-year-old Ruby Bridges
43:09had to be escorted by federal marshals
43:12because a mob of state officials
43:14and even the governor
43:16attempted to block her from classrooms
43:18after a federal court order?
43:20Back to when federal troops
43:22had to be sent in
43:24just so the Little Rock Nine could go to school
43:26because the state government
43:28ordered the National Guard
43:30to close their doors?
43:32Is that what we're going back to?
43:34Because that is when,
43:36that is why the federal government
43:38had to step in.
43:41They let black and brown kids
43:43be terrorized rather than educated.
43:45It took a Supreme Court case,
43:47Brown v. Board,
43:49to get segregation
43:51ruled unconstitutional in 1954.
43:53But guess what?
43:55That ruling meant nothing
43:57without enforcement.
43:59Because the southern states
44:01didn't just wake up one day
44:03and decide, oh well now
44:05we're going to treat black kids fairly.
44:07No, parents had to keep
44:10suing for justice.
44:12In Alexander v. Holmes County
44:14Board of Education
44:16in 1969, parents
44:18had to sue again
44:20because schools were still
44:22dragging their feet
44:24on desegregation 15 years
44:26after Brown v. Board.
44:28So let's also talk about
44:30children with disabilities
44:32who had to sue.
44:34Before federal oversight,
44:36millions of kids like mine
44:38were locked out of public education entirely.
44:40Parents had to sue.
44:42Pennsylvania Arc v. Pennsylvania
44:44in 1972.
44:46Mills v. Board of Education
44:48in 1972.
44:50Just so our kids
44:52could learn.
44:54Parents are not new to this fight.
44:56We have been fighting for generations
44:58to gain these protections
45:00so that we would not bankrupt
45:02our families and rob our kids
45:04of their childhood,
45:07stolen because states
45:09refuse to recognize our rights.
45:11And you guys want to send education
45:13back to the states.
45:15Is this what we mean when we say making America
45:17great again? Is this the again?
45:21Donald Trump trying to shut down
45:23the U.S. Department of Education,
45:25the one agency that enforces
45:27these civil rights protections
45:29so we can go back to gutting
45:31public schools and letting states
45:33do whatever they want again?
45:36This is not a dog whistle, friends.
45:38We hear loud and clear
45:40what you are trying to do.
45:42So I am here to say
45:44we are not going back.
45:46We are moving forward and parents
45:48need to be paying attention
45:50because if they take away federal education protections
45:52your kid could be the next kid locked out.
45:56So in the words of the great governor
45:58of Maine, Donald Trump,
46:00you will see us in court.
46:06Not going back!
46:08Not going back!
46:10Not going back!
46:12Not going back!
46:14Not going back!
46:16Not going back!
46:18Not going back!
46:20And we won't be going back.
46:22And so I want to give a big
46:24thank you. Once again, my name is Portia
46:26Allen Kyle. I have the honor of leading Color of Change.
46:28I want to
46:30give a big thank you to all of you who showed up
46:32today in support of our students
46:34in support of our civil servants
46:36in support of families
46:38in support of our nation.
46:40And we do a little thing at Color of Change
46:42we organize and enjoy.
46:44Don't worry, I'm not going to talk long.
46:46A couple of our speakers
46:48have talked about Linda McMahon
46:50needing to work herself out of a job
46:52and we often say in organizing
46:54that we want to organize ourselves out of a job.
46:56I too would like not to
46:58need to do this work
47:00because all of our kids
47:03are supported
47:05where your zip code
47:07where your address doesn't determine the trajectory
47:09of your life
47:11because we're living in a world
47:13where Dr. King's dream has been achieved
47:15I would love to organize
47:17and work myself out of a job.
47:19This isn't it.
47:21Before we leave today
47:23I want us to do a little something
47:25I want us to turn all together
47:27say thank you
47:29give a huge congratulations
47:31to everyone still holding down the fight inside this building.