Credit: Sasha Libenzon

On Wednesday, March 19, teachers from all Wayland Public schools gathered to demonstrate against the recent actions of the Trump administration, which is seeking to shut down the Department of Education. “I want [students] to know that we’re gonna fight for them and for their resources,” English teacher Kelsey Pitcairn said. “This is not just about our job as educators. It’s about our mission and values as educators.”

Members of the Wayland Educators Association (WEA) participated in a “walk-in” on March 19 in protest of President Donald Trump’s recent actions that point towards shutting down the Department of Education.

From 8:20 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., teachers at the high school, Wayland Middle School and all three elementary schools gathered and held signs in support for public education in the U.S..

The building representatives English teacher Kelsey Pitcarin and wellness teacher John Berry organized the walk-in after learning that other schools were planning their own demonstrations.

“Congress is currently in recess, so our elected leaders are primarily back in their home districts, and we are trying to raise awareness nationwide amongst public educators that the decisions those elected leaders make in Washington affect us here at home,” Pitcairn said.

Across the country, educators have been speaking out against Trump’s recent actions that point towards shutting down the Department of Education. Trump has repeatedly voiced his desire to shut down the Department of Education, which was created by congress in 1979. Since taking office in January, Trump, along with the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, have made various efforts to dismantle government organizations and “root out waste.”

However, educators believe that there is nothing wasteful about the hundreds of billions of dollars that the federal government gives to public schools every year. Though the majority of schools’ funding is provided by the states, the 10 percent of funding that does come from the government helps programs that would not exist otherwise.

Before plans to shut down the Department of Education materialized, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from American universities who did not eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs from their institutions. Now with possible closing of the Department of Education, which has worked to make education accessible to less fortunate students, providing additional support to these students could be challenging.

“I think it would make it much harder for me to get the resources that I need to support my students who are [at] most risk,” Pitcairn said. “And I think just from a sort of moral perspective, it’s a really emotionally difficult thing to see the federal government devalue teachers and education in this way.”

The Department of Education provides funding for low-income students and for special education. It also provides students attending college with financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program.

“Regardless of your background or status [WHS staff] truly [believes] in equality for all students,” school psychologist Kate Gamwell said. “As staff coming together and demonstrating, we believe in providing the best education for every single student.”

A U.S. president alone has never shut down a federal department before – such a change would have to be officially approved by Congress. However, a draft of an executive order to shut down the Department of Education has circulated Washington D.C., making the administration’s intentions clear. The Secretary of the Department of Education Linda McMahon sent an email to federal workers with the subject of “final mission,” hinting that the department was nearing its end.

Additionally, roughly half the employees at the Department of Education have been let go from their jobs. The majority of these lay-offs have occurred in branches of the department that focus on civil rights and other efforts that align with DEI. This approach to education accessibility makes the future of public education uncertain, and something that teachers believe needs more attention.

“I think it’s important for teachers to stand together and connect with the community about the kind of our concerns where the future of public education lies,” Berry said. “I know in Massachusetts we are a very supportive state of public education, but unfortunately that is not the case in every state.”

Educators hope that students will try to understand the state of public education in the country, beyond just Wayland.

“I think it’s really important to remember when things are happening on a wider scale that they affect all people and that even if you aren’t directly affected, you need to think about how it might be affecting others,” Spanish teacher Jill Swenson said. “And even not in your community, but in the greater community at large.”