Tucson, AZ – On March 4, more than 50 K-12 educators and union members rallied outside the federal building to protest the Trump administration’s plans to destroy the federal Department of Education. The National Day of Action – “Protect our Kids” – was supported by the American Federal of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) and targeted March 4 to reject the confirmation of Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon.

 The national unions and their locals vowed to defend immigrant and LGBTQ students from the Trump administration’s reactionary attacks. Destroying the Department of Education would also gut funding to support students with disabilities and limit protections offered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

 Local affiliates of NEA from Tucson, Sunnyside, Flowing Wells, Amphi and Marana school districts united with teachers at BASIS Tucson North, Arizona’s first unionized charter school. A Latino and indigenous-led community organization, LUCHA, joined the rally to make it clear that Arizonan educators are willing to fight back against education cuts, privatization and profiteering so that every student gets the education they deserve.

 Speakers at the rally emphasized the need to fight back at both the state and the federal level.

 Jim Byrne, president of the Tucson Education Association, reminded the crowd that “during Trump’s first term, West Virginia, then Oklahoma, and then Arizona saw historic educator strikes that pushed the needle toward more funding to schools. We did it before and we can do it again!”

 American Federation of Teachers Local 8002 Vice President Duncan Sohn Hasman shared the sentiment, saying, “Charter school teachers at this particular moment have found ourselves a new voice and a new way to fight back. We are ready to fight, we are ready to work with our public co-educators within Arizona to make sure that we are ready to fight back.”

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