While President Trump’s flurry of executive orders causes panic and confusion among many Americans, they’re only making NEA President Becky Pringle—and countless other NEA members—even more determined to protect public education and the safety and well-being of every student.
If anybody knows how to handle an adversary, it’s educators. And if anybody knows how to mobilize and take action, it’s union members, she said.
“We will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize for the public schools our students deserve—no matter who they are,” she promised.
Already, union members have exerted their power to help reverse Trump’s harmful and chaos-inducing freeze on federal grants and loans. Meanwhile, NEA is developing and sharing resources for educators and members, and encouraging NEA members to reach out to their members of Congress.
“We are union members — and we know the power that comes from solidarity. Unions exist for moments like this,” said Pringle. “We, the NEA, will always fight like hell when people come for our kids, our professions, and our communities.”
‘No, this is not right.’
During his campaign, Trump made a lot of promises to improve the lives of working Americans. But today, eggs cost $8 a dozen and working families can’t afford groceries. Instead of offering help to Americans who desperately need it, his recent executive orders are scaring working people and infuriating educators.
“NEA members are angry and speaking up, using their voice to mobilize other people to say, ‘no, this is not right,’” said Pringle.
No matter who you voted for, the executive orders issued this week came for all of us—our students, educators, people in every single community, said Pringle. The latest? Trump is expected to sign an executive order to illegally funnel federal dollars to private schools and strip public school students of vital federal funding.
Ninety percent of children—and 95 percent of children with disabilities—attend public school and rely on federal funding for school lunches, special-education services, smaller class sizes, and educational technology. Instead of stealing money from those students, “lawmakers need to fully fund public schools in a way that has never happened, so that educators can meet the individual needs of students," Pringle said.
“What I cannot understand — nor will we accept — is any politician depriving some students of what they need to succeed,” Pringle promised.
Other executive orders have included a temporary freeze on federal loans and grants. From Head Start to Medicaid, to hospice care and drug treatment, Trump’s “freeze” on federal funding was both unprecedented and unlawful.
- Nearly 80 million Americans rely on Medicaid for everything from X-rays and mammograms to kidney dialysis and emergency surgeries. On Tuesday, the Trump administration turned it off.
- The temporary freeze also stopped funding to Head Start, which serves the nation’s poorest toddlers and preschoolers.
- Even scientists working on cancer treatments, through federally funded research, reported problems.
And that’s not all. Trump ordered an end to diversity programs that ensured fair hiring practices at federal agencies. He has invited 2 million federal workers to resign—these are people who process tax returns and Social Security checks, pay out student loans to colleges, inspect the nation’s bridges and food and water supplies, predict hurricanes and other natural disasters, and more.
He also has taken steps to undermine workers’ rights, illegally firing a board member of the National Labor Relations Board and bringing to a standstill hundreds of cases around unlawful labor practices. “NEA and our affiliates will always protect members’ voice at work, freedom to grow our union together, and ability to stand up for our students and for our families,” Pringle promised.
And Trump has moved to end gender-affirming medical care, such as hormone therapy, for transgender youth, even as anti-trans laws have been shown to increase suicide attempts among trans youth by 72 percent.
‘NEA members will not stop.’
From Day 1 of the new Trump administration, NEA members and leaders have been mobilizing, connecting with members of Congress and other labor unions, and developing resources for educators and families.
This week, NEA attorneys updated their guidance to educators around immigration issues, which includes information on how educators can safely engage in these issues. This guidance includes model language for local Safe Zone resolutions and what people can say or do if they’re stopped by immigration officers.
More than 4.4 million U.S.-born children live in homes with undocumented parents and today, they’re afraid to go to school, Pringle noted.
“Our neighbors are going into hiding,” Pringle said, terrified that their families will be torn apart. Stripping schools and campuses—which should always be safe spaces for students to learn and educators to teach—of federal protection from immigration raids is “cruel, inhumane, and causing irreversible harm to children,” Pringle said.
“As educators, we have accepted the sacred responsibility to protect students—every single student, regardless of their immigration status—and to protect families and communities. We have a professional and moral responsibility to keep our students safe, especially if, and when, Trump sends ICE into our communities,” said Pringle. “We will uphold the constitutionally protected right of all students to access a public education,” she promised.
“NEA members will not stop,” Pringle promised. “We can and will block bad policies. We can and we will build broader coalitions to support the values and aspirations most Americans share.”
