Amidst concerns over educational stability and immigrant student safety in South Florida, teacher's unions are vocalizing their opposition to recent federal actions. Officials from United Teachers of Dade and the Broward Teachers Union are pushing back against what they perceive as threats to the welfare of their schools and communities. They are contending with a double-edged sword: the potential closure of the U.S. Department of Education and newfound fears of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids at schools.
The teacher's unions affirm that such measures undermine the education system and instill trepidation among students and parents. In a response to the all-hands-on-deck approach endorsed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, which allies with the Trump administration's directives to grant immigration officers access to school premises, the unions stand resolute. "There's no bar in the State of Florida for conducting immigration enforcement operations," DeSantis reportedly said. He aims to keep schools amenable to officials while the local educators voice their dissent, as detailed by CBS Miami.
In a recent press conference, Karla Hernandez-Mats, president of United Teachers of Dade, underscored the importance of student privacy and educators' role in safeguarding it. "There are federal laws, FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), which does not allow any faculty or staff to divulge any personal information on a child. We are not law enforcement officers, it is not our job to tell anybody who is in our school and who is not in our school. We are educators that love and care for these kids like they are our own. They are our students and we are going to protect them, we're going to serve them, we're going to make sure that they get access to the best to the best education that they can receive in our community," Hernandez-Mats told CBS Miami.
Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco echoed a similar sentiment, stating, "We are not going to break the law, but we don't agree with it. We know that our students have to come to school and be safe. As educators, as a mom myself, as an educator for 30 plus years and Broward Teachers Union president, we are always encouraging and talking to our educators of the uncertainty and to bring down the rumors. We're here first to show up to school, educate our students and keep nurturing and caring for them." In the face of these threats, guidance has been issued by the Miami-Dade and Broward school districts instructing respective schools on how to responsibly manage encounters with federal authorities. Schools are being reminded of the confidentiality of student records as established by FERPA, detailing that information should not be released without appropriate authorization, as per CBS Miami.
Amid reports of a potential executive order from the White House aiming to eliminate the Department of Education, as NBC Miami detailed, teacher's unions are rallying to protect the institution they deem vital for the operation and funding of the nation's education system. Hernandez-Mats addressed the importance of programs administered by the Department, which, she notes, serve working class, middle class families as well as students with special needs.
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson vehemently opposed the closure, describing it as a "slap in the face" to children and educators, and called for congressional action to preserve the Department of Education, as reported by CBS Miami.
