On Tuesday, March 4, the National Day of Action brought together teachers nationwide who wore matching red shirts to show unity for public education financing. The event represented the necessity of federal support for vulnerable students, as the Department of Education funds critical programs for students with learning difficulties. The Department of Education may be dismantled at any moment.
This meeting encourages students to hold political authorities accountable and to be knowledgeable about the Department of Education’s responsibilities. The participants want to emphasise the importance of full public education funding to ensure that all learners succeed.
Jacqueline Shelson, a co-president of the Grosse Pointe Education Association (teachers’ union) and a math and science teacher at South, emphasizes the importance of teachers collaborating to improve students’ education.
“The biggest thing is all of us wearing red,” Shelson said. “There’s power in numbers.”
Shelson and other teachers aim to highlight what the Department of Education does at the national level.
“We want to make sure that our schools are fully funded,” Shelson said. “Some people at the national level want to get rid of the Department of Education. It’s essential for students with learning disabilities, a lot of the funding that goes towards that.”
Jennifer Vick, a school counselor at South, emphasizes the reason why this event was so important, highlighting the risk of the unknown.
“The teachers and professionals in this community are extremely passionate about public education,” Vick said. “We want what’s best for our students.”
Shelson emphasizes the importance of understanding that we, the people, have the capacity to vote people in and to contact our elected representatives if something is not right with what they are doing.
“Everyone has different beliefs, but if who you elected isn’t doing what you wanted,” Shelson said. “It’s your right to reach out to them.”
William Mason ’26 shares his thoughts about the teachers who stood outside to represent the student body.
“As a student with an Individual Education Program (IEP), I think this is a great way to show that teachers care about their students’ education nationwide,” Mason said.
It’s easy to overlook what’s going on in your educational system; Mason explains why he believes students must be better informed due to his IEP.
“We students haven’t been informed about the board of education’s plans, I think this should be necessary because I use my IEP a lot,” Mason said.
Although most funding comes from the state, there are also different funds that come from the national level, and much of it deals with the most vulnerable: students.
“It’s just a show of solidarity and unity for public education in general,” Shelson said. “It’s not just a teacher thing; it’s an outlet for students to think about their administrators, the superintendent and everyone who holds power, it’s important that we hold our elected officials accountable.”
