The recent presidential election has caused uncertainty and fear among many people in our community, including some of our students who believe they or their family members may be deported.
According to ThinkProgress.org, reports of hate crimes have risen since the election (thinkprogress.org/thinkprogress-has-been-tracking-hate-since-trumps-election-here-s-what-we-found-e0288ed69869#.vv7zo1qgz), putting people in many minority groups and those who love them on edge.
ThinkProgress.org’s standard for a hate incident was very specific, and the bar for inclusion on their list was high. In their report, they included far fewer incidents than the Southern Poverty Law Center, for example. ThingProgress.org said, “We only tracked occurrences targeted against individuals or communities, which means that we did not cite the numerous instances of vague but unmistakably hateful speech scrawled in public places across the country. We also required accounts to be backed up by a news article, a police report, or an original investigation by ThinkProgress.”
Although students may not understand the full implications of what has been occurring in our country, I can tell you this: they deserve to feel safe when they are at school. When students live in fear, it paralyzes their ability to learn and succeed. I, for one, do not want to see anyone—especially our students—paralyzed by fear for any reason. As we all know, young people are affected by their environment, so it is our job as educators and community members to make sure they are safe.
Another current threat to education is President Trump’s proposed budget, which would reduce federal education spending for public schools while boosting money for school vouchers and charter schools. Since California is the most populous state, it stands to lose the most money. This fiscal year, the federal government is expected to pay California $4.09 billion for K-12 programs and $4.3 billion for college programs. The Trump administration has proposed completely eliminating Supporting Effective Instruction grants, which pay for teacher training. California gets about $250 million from that fund, which allows school districts to provide whatever teacher training they need most. The cuts that will stem from this budget, if it is approved, will affect all children who attend public schools.
What can we do to help our students? I admit I have thought to myself at times, “I am only one person how can I affect change?” The truth is, there are several things we can do to advocate for our kids—we can write a letter, send an email, or make phone calls to our local legislators’ offices. Heck, sign that petition at the supermarket! We need to take action. Everyone can make a difference. Please let your voice be heard in any way you feel comfortable. In case you’re interested, here’s the contact information for our elected officials:
State Assemblyman Jim Wood
Phone: 916-319-2002
Website: https://a02.asmdc.org/
State Senator Mike McGuire
Phone: 916-651-4002
Website: http://sd02.senate.ca.gov/
U.S. Representative Jared Huffman
Phone: 202-225-5161
Fax: 202-225-5163
Website: http://huffman.house.gov/
US Senator Kamala Harris
Phone: 202-224-3553
Email: https://www.harris.senate.gov/content/contact-senator
Website: https://www.harris.senate.gov/
US Senator Dianne Feinstein
Phone: 202-224-3841
Fax: 202-228-3954
Email: https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me
Website: https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/
President Donald Trump
Phone: 202-456-1111
Email: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-trump
This election may have divided us, but now more than ever is the time for all of us to stand up and advocate for our children. They deserve our protection.