📢 Keep Politics Out of Our Classrooms, and Power in the People’s Hands

🗽Together, we can champion our rights, freedoms, rule of law, democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people's will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.

Education Is Not a Political Weapon—It's a Right

You may not know this about me, but my activism started as a Pissed Off Mom who was troubled by the rise of fascism in Florida back in 2015. And well, here I am 10 years later—I'm still pissed.

Back then, I was watching lawmakers attack the rights of children and families under the guise of "parental rights" and "freedom," when really, it was about control. Control over what kids could read, what teachers could say, which histories were erased, and whose existence was deemed inappropriate. It wasn't just offensive—it was dangerous. And as a mom, I knew I couldn't stay silent.

Today, the fight is bigger, and the stakes are higher. Our children's education should serve our children—not political agendas.

The current crisis in American education funding represents more than a budget dispute or policy disagreement. It embodies a fundamental choice about the kind of society America will become. Will we protect education as a public good that serves all children? Or will we allow it to become a political weapon used to advance partisan ideologies and punish students, teachers, and communities that dare to speak up?

Here's the truth: what's happening in our schools is not normal. Teachers are being fired for refusing to whitewash history. Books are being banned to erase queer kids and Black stories. School boards are being hijacked by dark money groups pushing extremist ideologies. And education funding is being manipulated as leverage—rewarding obedience, punishing defiance.

It's taxation without representation. And it's targeting our kids.

The moment we're in demands action—from all Americans who believe in educational opportunity, bipartisan governance, and the promise that every child deserves access to excellent education, regardless of:

• Their zip code

• The color of their skin

• The money in their bank account

• Their gender or who they love

• The pronouns they use

• Or the religion they practice

At People Power United, we speak out every day against:

❌ Racism

❌ Xenophobia

❌ Islamophobia

❌ Antisemitism

❌ Homophobia

❌ Misogyny

❌ Sexism

❌ Ageism

❌ Ableism

❌ Sizeism

❌ Transphobia

❌ Misogynoir

❌ Elitism

❌ Bigotry of all forms

But we must also do more. We must get better and bolder at protecting our children from predator politicians who are using our schools as laboratories for fascism.

There's a crucial distinction between the legitimate political aspects of education—like bipartisan oversight, public accountability, and resource allocation—and the destructive political interference we're seeing today: weaponizing funding, imposing ideological purity tests, and disrupting educational continuity for partisan gain.

👉 Protecting schools from politics means defending them from the latter while preserving appropriate bipartisan governance.

It also means we must ensure no president or leader can withhold the people's money to silence the people's voices. Public education is not a privilege for the obedient—it is a right for every child.

And while discussing rights, let's talk about affirmative action.

The fight for equity in education isn't new, but it is under attack. Affirmative action is not about giving someone an unfair advantage. It's about acknowledging that the playing field has never been level—and doing the work to change that.

To understand why affirmative action is needed, we must first understand what equity means.

Many people throw around the word "equality" like it's enough. But equality means giving everyone the same thing—regardless of their circumstances. That might look fair on the surface, but it fails to recognize the barriers that many children face.

I love this new graphic by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ¹, because it shows this so clearly:

• Equality: Everyone gets the same. But what if the same isn't suitable? In the graphic, we see people in wheelchairs or seniors with walkers left behind by an identical solution that simply doesn't work for them.

• Equity: Everyone gets what they need, taking into account the barriers, context, and realities they live with.

And that's what real justice looks like.

And that's what People Power is about.

We don't stop at outrage. We organize.

We don't wait for permission. We build power.

We don't settle for empty slogans. We fight for change.

Because People Power means we keep working to ensure equity in our communities—from school funding to curriculum access, from disability rights to LGBTQIA+ inclusion, from student safety to teacher protection. It means we never stop advocating to provide our children, educators, and communities with what they need to thrive in an educational setting.

So if you're a parent, a student, a teacher, a neighbor, or someone who believes in justice—know this:

📣 You're not alone.

📣 We're not powerless.

📣 And we're not done yet.

Join us. Speak up. Show up because they're counting on us to stay silent. And that's precisely why this Pissed Off Mom won't.

Today’s Calls to Action

• Every heart, comment, and share helps—thank you! Just a friendly reminder: we don’t fundraise, we have no grant funders, and no paid staff. We’re 100% powered by the people.

• Click here to Tell Congress: Keep Politics Out of School Funding

• Click here to Demand Congress protect more than $100 million in funding for Tribal colleges now

• Click here to Demand Navy Federal Credit Union repay the $80 million it owes to military families now

• Click here to Demand the Dept. of Veterans Affairs reject Trump’s executive order denying care to veterans

• Click here to follow us on YouTube

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Join a Families First event near you

On Saturday, July 26th, families across all 50 states and D.C. will unite in peaceful marches and rallies to say loud and clear: our families come first.

Organized by a national coalition of unions, advocacy groups, faith leaders, and everyday people, Families First events will demand care—not cruelty—from Congress and the White House. Grounded in nonviolence and community safety, we’re showing up to protect each other, defend dignity, and remind our neighbors they’re not alone.

Together, we rise to say: our families come first.

• Click here to view the map and locate an event near you

• Click here to learn more about Families First

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We are not just resisting—we are reclaiming, rebuilding, and rising. Let’s do it together.

With fierce resolve and people power,
Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests)
People Power United

What We’ve Built Together at People Power United

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✅ Thousands of bold actions taken daily to protect our rights and freedoms
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1. https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/blog/2022/11/we-used-your-insights-to-update-our-graphic-on-equity.html