The president’s pick for the new Secretary of Education is Linda McMahon. The President is trying to destroy the Department of Education, and nominating McMahon is part of his plan. Normally, we would expect that anyone nominated to run the Department of Education must be aware of how it works. We would assume they knew the basics of education law in the US, and how to protect students’ rights. At her confirmation hearing last week, McMahon failed to meet these basic standards or prove she is up to the task of leading the agency.
She could not name the protections provided under the Every Student Succeeds Act, or the purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) — both critical civil rights laws for disabled students. Knowing the law is a basic part of being able to run a federal agency. A commitment to protect all students — including students with disabilities — is the bare minimum.
We need your help: tell your Senators to oppose the confirmation of Linda McMahon as the next U.S. Secretary of Education.
Under the best of circumstances, disabled students face barriers to access, and getting accommodations can be difficult. Dismantling the Department of Education and taking away protections from disabled students will make the problems students face even worse. This is only one way that the current administration is targeting students from marginalized groups. In recent executive orders, the President has taken aim at attempts to promote racial and gender equity in schools, and said that schools should force transgender students to use the bathroom associated with their assigned sex. McMahon will support those same discriminatory policies if she is confirmed.
We need to stop this. Here’s what you can do:
Find your Senators using this tool. Then, give them a call.
You can use our script:
I’m a constituent of [SENATOR NAME]’s, calling to urge Senator [SENATOR NAME] to oppose Linda McMahon as Department of Education Secretary.
The Department of Education is responsible for protecting students from discrimination. We need a Secretary who will make sure all students have the chance to learn, grow, and thrive in their schools.
Given Linda McMahon’s record, her lack of knowledge of education policy, and her support for discrimination, she does NOT deserve the support of the United State Senate and is unfit to serve.
I urge the Senator to vote no on her upcoming confirmation. Thank you for your time, and please have a great day.
Need a reminder on what to expect when calling your Senators? We’ve got you covered.
Our communities deserve competent and capable people leading our federal agencies. The Department of Education is no exception. Everyone has the right to go to school, and we need to make sure everyone has protections that make education possible for them. Thank you for taking action to protect disabled students.