Things are tough, but taking collective action is the way forward. Read on and look for four actions highlighted below that you take right now...
❶ Write Congress about special ed cuts
Using the shutdown of the federal government as cover, the Secretary of Education is attempting to gut the US Department of Ed even more, in particular chopping employees whose work supports students with disabilities’ right to access education. Yesterday a judge temporarily blocked the cuts, but previous layoffs that have been temporarily stopped by the courts ultimately have gone through.
IL-FPS was one of more than 300 organizations condemning these cuts in a statement issued by the National Center for Learning Disabilities:
| “These wholesale terminations place fundamental education laws in peril and place millions of children with disabilities at risk who receive services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. These layoffs circumvent the will of Congress and dismantle 50 years of precedent upholding rights for students with disabilities.” |
You can read the full statement here. Grassroots parent group, Save Our Schools Arizona, has a great letter writing tool to use and share to contact your member of Congress, US Senators, and the US Dept of Ed about this: bit.ly/NoSPEDCuts. The Wisconsin Public Education Network has even more ways to take action on this issue.
❷ CPS mental health tech contract with questionable ties
You may remember that IL-FPS raised questions last spring about data protection issues with Hazel Health, a for-profit company providing mental health services to Chicago Public Schools’ high school students.
Now the contract between CPS and Hazel is up for renewal, and IL-FPS has sent a letter along with four other advocacy groups to the Chicago Board of Ed and CEO-Superintendent asking for the contract to be fixed or canceled.
Disturbingly, after our letter went out, we learned that Hazel has now merged with another mental health tech company, this one with deep ties to the surveillance tech giant, Palantir, who itself is a contractor working with ICE.
All this only heightens our initial concerns about whether student’s incredibly sensitive mental health data is actually being protected under the contract with Hazel. In recent weeks, CPS has been highlighting Hazel as a resource for students’ experiencing fear, anxiety and trauma as ICE terrorizes larger and larger swathes of our city (and beyond).
If you are a Chicago resident, reach out to your Chicago Board of Ed member and urge them to get this contract fixed or canceled. Students shouldn’t have to sacrifice their privacy to get counseling services, and, if their data is being exploited or exposed, that’s not receiving care, that’s being harmed!
Even if you're not in Chicago, please spread the word about these concerns by sharing our post; Hazel Health is in use in several Illinois charter schools and at least one other school district, East St. Louis. They also have contracts in more than 180 school districts in 19 states around the country.
❸ DePaul College of Education Fall Forum on students' mental health
Register and attend the DePaul College of Ed Online Fall Forum. You’ll hear from experts in our schools about supporting students' mental health needs (from the polar opposite perspective of the dehumanizing tech industry!)
Fall Virtual Forum
“Meeting Students' Mental Health Challenges”
Tuesday, October 21st, 5:30pm.
Registration required
Panelists will include an education researcher, as well as a teacher and a counselor who work in public schools. They’ll cover the implications of increased mental health concerns for our children and teens in a time of cuts to school funding and healthcare access:
"What are teachers and school counselors observing in their schools? Most importantly, what is the way forward – what ideas, strategies, best practices for both classroom and school interventions can meet these challenges?"
❹ No Kings protests this Saturday
IL-FPS is one of many, many endorsing organizations for the Hands Off, Chicago! No Kings protest this Saturday 10/18, but these protests are taking place around the state and across the country.
Both the public good—including public schools—and our individual liberties are under relentless attack by the Trump administration. If you're able to show up, find an event near you and stand up with your community on what will be a historic day of protest against fascism and authoritarianism!
Thanks for staying in the fight and advocating along with us!
— Team IL-FPS