The U.S. Department of Education's so-called "final mission" is unfolding before our eyes and educators, from K-12 classrooms to college lecture halls, are watching.
Some of us wonder what this means for our students. Others fear for the future of our profession. But all of us, every educator called to this work, are grappling with one question: What must I do now?
With a collective ten years of professional experience in higher education, we once believed that the pinnacle of this work was earning tenure. But no title could have prepared us for today’s political and professional landscape.
Tenure is under fire. Public education is under siege. The partnership between states, communities, and educators is fracturing. At times, it feels like we’re building a house we’ll never live in.
Recently, we stood with fellow union educators at the NEA Higher Education Conference in Philadelphia. It was a critical gathering to arm attendees with real strategies for leading in what often feels like impossible times. Just days earlier the Department of Education had dropped a "Dear Colleague" letter, which was anything but collegial, threatening to strip federal funding from schools with diversity programs.
We weren’t just there to listen. We came to learn and to leave prepared to take action. Drawing from our latest research, we showcased how Florida’s former segregated teachers union, the Florida State Teachers Association, historically empowered educators and students. Our work proves that even under oppressive laws, organized resistance creates a path forward.
Legacy matters. Research matters.
And as educators, our calling is to turn struggle into strategy.
Our experiences at the conference reminded us of three things. First, the path forward demands that leadership accountability starts with us. Second, waiting is not a strategy, it's a surrender. And, finally, action demands equity of outcomes. These are non-negotiables.
Here’s how we must move forward:
Accountability Starts With Us
Public trust in education is eroding—not because of educators, but because lawmakers have ignored how their policies harm students and schools. Public education was designed as a system of opportunity for some, expanding over generations to serve more students than it was originally created for.
That progress is now at risk.
This is a precarious moment. Silence is not an option. Clinging to outdated strategies will not save our profession. We must lead with innovation, urgency, and boldness.
We appreciate legislators who investigate changes at the Department of Education. But now, lawmakers must come to us—the educators on the frontlines—and ask: How do we fix this together?
At the NEA conference, we were reminded: Leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about impact. If we want policies that serve students, we must hold institutions and decision-makers accountable to the missions they claim to uphold.
The Mission Demands Equity of Outcomes
The promise of education was never just access. A fair starting line doesn’t guarantee a fair finish. We must fight for equity of opportunity and equity of outcome. Ensuring aspiring educators and educators, who are often burdened by fear, feel integral to higher education initiatives is essential. These individuals should not only enter the classroom but also leave empowered, equipped, and prepared to enact meaningful change, leveraging talents, training, and professional development as educators.
This truth struck us personally. As former doctoral students and now professional colleagues, we once envisioned careers in academia driven by shared aspirations and intellectual purposes.
Now, we may never pursue some of them—not because we’re unqualified but because our profession may no longer allow the freedom to think critically or respond to today’s crises without political constraints. However, we can consider inviting other stakeholders in our fight for justice, find like-minded educators who are willing to share our objectives, involve our unions, reach beyond the comfort of traditional allies, and implore invested co-conspirators interested in more than performative advocacy.
Recently, a scripture grounded us: “Pursue justice, and justice alone.” That is the call. That is the mission.
Waiting Is Surrender
We’ll admit—we initially thought the federal changes would blow over. That we could “wait it out.” This administration would leave, and their policies would fade.
We were wrong. Waiting is not a strategy. It’s surrender.
Education cannot operate on political timelines. The crises we face are urgent, and the time to act is now. Every delay harms our students. Every pause weakens our profession.
Survival requires courage—and courage is not passive. It means advocating, organizing, and refusing to accept injustice. We must choose action over comfort, and clarity over compliance. We recommend attending the NEA Higher Education Conference. Or better yet, start making calls and emailing lawmakers right where you are at. The process of reaching out and advocating is made easier through the NEA Action Center.
So What Now? Do We Walk Away?
No.
Our work—helping students grow, learn, and thrive—is too vital. We cannot retreat. This moment demands bold action, not passive hope. We are not bystanders. We are builders.
If the Department of Education has issued its “final mission,” then let us issue ours: To fight for what our students, our profession, and our future deserve.
The mission isn’t impossible. Not if we commit—together—to the work.
