This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Gahnique Bell. Find her on Instagram at @s14rbur81_g4l4xy. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.

Things are still on fire over here in America. Especially the department of education (DOE). 

The president recently announced an executive order to completely dismantle the department of education and worry for the future of students is not looking so bright. But what about the teachers? 

I feel like with all the talk about the education system being dismantled and how the funding of schools and programs has drastically decreased, I have barely seen any opinions or any outcries about the whole situation from the teachers. 

Sure, the DOE crashing down could cause a whole lot of damage to college students, low-income families, and children with disabilities, but the teachers, the backbone of our society, are going to get hit pretty hard. Harder than the rest of the mess they had been having to deal with. 

But how exactly does the executive order (if it actually goes though) will affect teachers? What does the Department of Education even do? How can we help teachers who are facing such a frustrating situation?

So What Exactly Is the Department of Education? 

I feel like in order to somewhat grasp how teachers are going to be affected by this we have to know what exactly is the department of education. The Department of Education is an agency within the United States that is responsible for administering and coordinating federal assistance to the education of the United States. 

The student loans, the Pell Grants, supporting children in poverty and with disabilities all of that is the responsibility of the department of education. This even includes preventing discrimination against students of different race, ethnicity, gender, etc. 

What many people get wrong is that the DOE doesn’t specifically operate the schools and he curriculum in the country the states and local districts do.

This is important to know because the way schools are run, the academic standards, the staff, and the environment the teachers have to work in all stem from how the local and state governments want to run things

This answers some of the questions as to why teachers have been fed up with how their careers are going. 

Teachers are in a high time scarcity and passion of seeking a professional career in teaching is quickly diminishing

Its Hard For Teachers Out There

It’s no surprise that fewer and less people are willing to be teachers. 

They experience high levels of stress way more than any other job, their pay way less than they should, their workload is insane, and the overall work experience is not pleasant and oftentimes toxic. On top of this, they have to deal with students and teachers, which is a situation on its own, especially when they receive criticism and attitudes from parents. It’s part of why teachers are also “caregivers” in way instead of just being teacher.

Not to mention the disaster covid 19 was to teachers all across the country. They had to force it to be more virtual, and now, in a somewhat hybrid space, teachers were never prepared for it. And with the government trying to get rid of the Department of Education, it’s hard for teachers to be positive in these times. Many people who pursue a career in teaching have a passion for it. They left college hoping to make a difference in the world by influencing, inspiring, and providing valuable knowledge to the next generation. 

America is one of the richest countries in the world but prioritizes other things rather than the important issues at hand. Or making it worse. It doesn’t make sense how education and people’s livelihoods are being threatened instead of changing the system for the better without anyone’s livelihood in danger.

So after all of that teachers eventually end up quitting. Being overwork, being underappreciated, the expectation to take on more work than they should bare, and the decrease in resources is not worth it to many people.

However, not all teachers have given up hope.

Teachers Unions Fighting Against the Executive Order

Educators and other professionals are uniting to fight back against the attack on education. Soon after the executive order was signed, the American Association (AFT) which is a union of professionals that advocate for fairness, democracy, economic opportunity, and high-quality education, healthcare, and public services for students, families, and communities, and many other organizations and groups, sued against the concept of dismantling the education.

The lawsuit accuses illegal actions were committed and that the DEA being ripped to shreds is not possible without the congressional agreeing to take down the department 

Another lawsuit by the American Federation of Teachers was also filed. They are also asking for a judge to stop the order from passing through. 

How We Can Help Teachers Out

Right now, teachers need our help. 

It seems like we cant help on a larger scale but we can definitely help on a bigger and smaller scale. 

Here are some of the things we can do as citizens: 

1. Protest: Some may think that protesting doesn’t do much but it certainly does. There was a protest that happened outside of the DOE a few weeks ago that protested against the mass layoff from the agency and the destruction of the Department of Education. Protesting is way for our voices can be heard and make a change and have in many ways made a difference in matters in the past. So, if we can make our voices be heard now we can do it again by taking it to the streets.  
2. Vote: You have been hearing all about voting in the latest presidential election. Seeing the annoying ads in your face every time you watch TV or social media. What people usually forget is to also vote on the state and local levels. Since the state and local governments are the ones who take care of most of the decisions regarding students and what they learn, this is where the numbers need to be. The curriculum, how teachers are able to teach, and the way schools operate all affect the teacher and the teacher’s performance. Voting for a candidate who strongly cares about education and the students and actively makes a change could be helpful to all people in the future. 
3. Provide Mental Resources for Teachers: Teachers are stressed out 24/7 trying to give their students the best education they can but sometimes having a heavy workload leads to burnout. So perhaps there could be counseling services for teachers that involve workshops, stress management, and mindfulness to help them whenever they need
4. Promote Positive School Culture: Showing more appreciation to teachers could go a long way. Teachers put in a lot of workday in and day out and work just as hard as any other person in a different career. If you are a parent communicate regularly with the teacher and show that you’re engaging with your child’s learning and support the teacher by volunteering or offering to donate supplies to them

What are your thoughts on the future of education? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

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