This headline should worry all of us, John. 

Let me be clear: Education Secretary Linda McMahon does not have the power to dismantle the Department of Education. Only Congress does. But when members of this administration misuse their authority and threaten the very agency charged with protecting our children, it is an attack we cannot ignore.

This is an illegal assault on our public school children. If this continues, millions of students, teachers, and families will pay the price.

Children in underperforming schools and in our lowest income communities would suffer the most. That is not a coincidence -- it’s discrimination, plain and simple.

The Department of Education exists to:

• Protect students’ civil rights
• Support and fund our public schools
• Ensure that every child -- regardless of race, income, zip code, or ability -- has a real chance to learn and thrive

That’s why I’m asking you personally:

Will you add your name right now to reject this administration’s attempt to dismantle the Department of Education and stand up for our public schools?

You might not know this about me, but before I came to Congress, I was a history teacher in Charleston’s public schools.

I have seen with my own eyes what a good public school can do for a child -- and I have seen what happens when those schools are neglected, defunded, or written off.

I deeply believe that education is the cornerstone that makes America’s greatness accessible to all -- not just the wealthy, not just the well-connected, but every child willing to learn and work hard.

That’s why we must:

• Keep classrooms safe, open, and welcoming
• Protect students from discrimination and political interference
• Ensure teachers have the support and resources they need to do their jobs

We cannot allow the MAGA movement to tear down the very institution that helped lift so many of us up. So I’m asking you: Stand with me. Stand with our teachers. Stand with our children.

Thank you,

Jim