A statement on the executive order to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
September 11, 2017
We at TeachingWorks oppose the executive order to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). We must stand up for the society we need to be — a society that affirms the rights of children of immigrants to belong here and to lead safe and fulfilling lives.
The DACA program has made it possible for children whose families fled their countries to seek safety in the United States to access education, health care, and other crucial resources that can enable them to grow and prosper. DACA represents an important case of us as a society striving to be a nation that welcomes immigrants, an aspiration that we have consistently not reached for groups of color.
We must support the 800,000 young people threatened by the prospect of deportation, and the teachers and educators who know, work with and care for them. It is a frightening time when just leaving to go to school or to the store presents a real threat to these young people’s lives and safety. Education leaders must prevent illegal interventions into schools and strengthen what it means to welcome and include these young people. Open discussion about our commitment to and support for these youth is vital. You can learn more about how to support recipients of DACA in your classrooms here.
We urge all to enjoin others—elected officials, neighbors, communities—to call for action by Congress to put into Federal law the protections of DACA for those living in this land. We must stand up and fight this latest decision to abdicate our moral and political responsibilities as a nation. You can find contact information for your elected officials here.
The dream of public education as a force for justice and for developing our society demands constant (re)commitment and action. This latest act makes clear again the importance of our voices and our action. The current struggle also reminds us of past and contemporary struggles to build an inclusive and just educational system. It reinforces the urgent imperative to educate all young people in our nation’s schools about injustice, oppression, and about what it would take to live up to our dreams for this country.
TeachingWorks affirms the human rights of DACA children to the educational opportunities of our country. We will continue to support these young people by using public education as a lever for justice to disrupt inequality and promote social change. We ask you to join us in making quality education available and consistent for every child, and thus a force for making real the dream of a more just society.
