Bring the Impact Home: Protecting Students and Public Education

As Linda McMahon and the Trump administration threaten to dismantle the Department of Education, it is vital that we do everything possible to make real impacts that cuts to public education funding by this administration will have on students and our communities.

Gutting funding for public education will especially lower-income students in rural, suburban, and urban areas and students with disabilities. But people are not connecting the fights in Washington, D.C. with how it will impact their lives. We must tell their stories.

What does this look like:

• Educate the public about the threats. Make them real by sharing personal stories about how they impact students’ lives and disproportionately harm our most vulnerable students.
• Host local events and actions that help spread our message and amplify the voices of those impacted
• Engage partners and other stakeholders—including educators, students, parents, and community members.
• Drive media coverage: Generate media attention locally by inviting reporters to cover local events and/or tell your story. 
• Build pressure on policymakers by highlighting the harmful consequences of these attacks on public schools

Core message: UPDATED MESSAGE GUIDANCE CAN BE FOUND HERE
Educators and parents know that America's students need more opportunities to succeed. Now, more than ever, we must strengthen our public schools—where 90% of all students and 95% of students with disabilities—learn.  

The vast majority of Americans did not vote for and do not support, ending the federal government’s commitment to ensuring equal educational opportunities for every child. But it is incumbent on us to talk to people and make the impacts real. No more acronyms, bill numbers, or dollar amounts. We must directly paint a picture of the real-life consequences. 

And the consequences are very real. Gutting public education will: 

• balloon class sizes,  
• steal resources for our most vulnerable students, 
• take away services for students with disabilities, 
• gut student civil rights protections, among other things.  

Education Advocacy Event Planning Guide: What to do, who to invite, actions to take

Key Objectives

• Discuss the impact of funding cuts on individuals, especially students with disabilities and lower-income families.
• Focus on cuts to programs like Pell Grants and Two- and Four-year and career training programs.
• Explain how these programs help people, not through acronyms or large numbers but through firsthand, personal stories of educators, parents and students.
• Provide real-life examples of programs that may be cut.
• Use the state-by-state, program-by-program guide to highlight specific local impact

1. Gathering/Telling Stories

Collect and share real-life stories from educators, students, and parents. showcasing the real harm cuts to education will cause. 

• Highlight stories from teachers in high-poverty schools, special education, and/or college counseling. Identify parents of students with disabilities. 
• Use video and social media to show the impact of cuts on educators and students.
• Make these stories central to your call to action.
• Partner with other shareholders to amplify your message.

2. Host event with students, educators, parents, and community leaders 

Partner with local organizations and community leaders to amplify your message. 

• Organize rallies, marches, town halls, roundtables, press conferences, and teach-ins.
• Invite parent groups, student leaders, civil rights leaders or local elected officials.
• Reach out to your local PTAs, school boards, and student leaders of organizations that may be targeted

3. Media Outreach

Reach out to reporters. Ask them to cover your event and share the stories.

• Use this sample press advisory to inform reporters about your event
• Write letters to the editor for local papers

4. Digital Mobilization

Create short videos and share graphics that show the real-life impact of dismantling the Department of Education and cuts to public education funding.

• Use the Digital Toolkit to find updated guidance and actions
• Have a clear call to action
  • Examples:
    • Ask to write a letter campaign to local lawmaker
    • Text “Action” to 47844 to stay involved
    • Pledge to be a “defender of public education” and stay informed on ways to take action.