Educators, parents, and students host walk-ins to protect our students and families

Thousands of educators, parents, families, students, and community leaders sent a message to federal, state, and local elected officials around the nation today, holding hundreds of walk-in events throughout the country in support of the strong public schools and other protections students and communities need to thrive. 

“Most of us believe every student deserves opportunity, resources, and support to reach their full potential no matter where they live, the color of their skin, or how much their family earns. Every student in every community across the nation will be impacted by Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s extreme efforts to dismantle public schools to pay for tax handouts for billionaires. Gutting the Department of Education will send class sizes soaring, cut job training programs, make higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle-class families, take away special education services for students with disabilities, and damage student civil rights protections,” said National Education Association President Becky Pringle, who spoke at a walk-in event at Takoma Park Middle School.  

Walk-ins are positive actions where parents, educators, students, grandparents, caregivers, and families, along with neighbors and community leaders, gather in front of their school 30-45 minutes before the school day begins to discuss what they want for the school and community. Walk-ins are used to celebrate positive achievements, collaborate with school officials, or protest harmful school conditions and policies. 

Since taking office, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have aimed their wrecking ball at public schools. They have ended critical research into student learning which has taken educators out of the classroom and left students with fewer opportunities and less support. They have fired without cause nearly half of the Department of Education staff, getting rid of the dedicated public servants who help ensure our nation’s students have access to the programs and resources to keep class sizes down, expand learning opportunities, and ensure important higher education access programs like FAFSA can function. And they have worked to take away resources from our public schools – where 90% of our students including 95% of students with disabilities go – to fund unaccountable and discriminatory private schools.  

“Together, we will protect our students and our communities. We won’t let anyone hurt our students or take away opportunities from our families so Trump and Musk can ensure billionaires continue paying less in taxes than educators, nurses, or firefighters,” Pringle added. "Today was about educating, organizing, and mobilizing. And we’re not done yet.” 

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org