rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/take-action-tell-congress-to-protect-public-education?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-take-action-tell-congress-to-protect-public-education' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Education Voters of PA https://actionnetwork.org/groups/education-voters-of-pa https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/share_options/facebook_images/000/536/984/original/DOE_Graphic_(1200_x_630_px).jpg The recent massive reduction in force (RIF) of half of the staff in U.S. Department of Education implemented by Elon Musk and Donald Trump, effectively shutters the agency and guts its ability to support public schools.The order will immediately trigger mass layoffs, with thousands of Department of Education employees losing their jobs overnight. Federal education programs will be thrown into chaos, key funding streams will be left in limbo, and schools across the country will face uncertainty about the resources they rely on. With no staff to administer critical programs, states and districts will be forced to navigate a funding crisis on their own, leaving millions of students at risk—especially those in underfunded communities. Congress is also considering the creation of a new $10 billion private school voucher program, which would create tax havens for the rich while hypercharging school privatization and further draining resources available to support the public schools students depend on in every corner of the commonwealth. Pennsylvania students and communities depend on more than $1 billion in federal funding to support their local public schools, including funding for Title I and IDEA, which support at-risk students and students with disabilities. Tell your senator and representative to support public schools and students in the communities they represent, to oppose the creation of a new federal voucher program and to stop the executive abuse of authority and oppose efforts to gut the Department of Education. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/take-action-tell-congress-to-protect-public-education