Yesterday, Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Education, was confirmed by 50 Senators and Vice President Mike Pence. As a national coalition of over 100 organizations from across the country and Washington DC, the Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC) stands in unity with education justice stakeholders to continue fighting to ensure equity and human rights in public education.

DSC will continue to support and work with students, parents, educators and communities from across this nation to:

• Ensure that children and young people have access to quality public education that will support them in reaching their full potential.
• End punitive disciplinary practices and create safe and positive school climates using restorative practices to support the whole child.
• Ensure that the federal government continues to hold states, districts, and schools accountable for upholding their federal civil rights obligations, especially by protecting students of color, LGBTQ students,  students with disabilities, and immigrant students from discrimination.
• Ensure that funding for public schools is protected and not diverted to private interests through vouchers to private schools or expansion of charter schools.
• Ensure that all schools that receive federal funding, including charter schools, are held to the same accountability standards.
• Ensure robust implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), especially with regards to accountability, data reporting, and other provisions related to school climate and discipline.
• Ensure that the Department of Education works to support policies modeled after our Counselors Not Cops policy platform, including ending federal funding of School Resource Officers (SROs).
• Ensure that the Department of Education works to protect immigrant students from deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• Ensure that public schools are inclusive institutions for all students.

We will continue to organize our communities and our allies to ensure that all students’ rights are protected and will stand against any efforts to dismantle public education.