WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 12: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) joins parents, educators, community leaders, and elected officials at a rally outside the U.S. Capitol to defend public education ahead of Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing on February 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. With the Trump administration rolling back students’ civil rights protections and pushing an agenda that threatens to dismantle the Department of Education, speakers—including NEA President Becky Pringle, AFT President Randi Weingarten, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Bobby Scott, and parents and teachers representing students from all over the country—made it clear: public schools must be protected. From cutting resources for vulnerable students to expanding voucher schemes, McMahon’s nomination represents yet another attack on students’ futures. Today’s powerful gathering sent a strong message—our communities will not stand by while public education is gutted. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Education Association)