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March 7, 2025
Kelly Booz uses the power of music, AI, and civic action to highlight the urgent threats facing schools, teachers, and communities nationwide. Read on to discover why defending public education is defending democracy—and how you can take action.
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In 2022, I wrote a song inspired by “The Schuyler Sisters” from Hamilton to celebrate educators and call out the challenges we face. Back then, I was just having fun with a creative remix—before artificial intelligence was mainstream, before it became second nature to ask ChatGPT to tweak a lesson plan or brainstorm ideas.
Now? AI is part of my daily workflow. If you haven’t checked out the AI Educator Brain, by the way, you should. So this year, I decided to use AI to help me reflect the 2025 reality for our kids, parents, teachers and support staff. And let’s just say, this remix hits differently.
There’s nothing those in power love more
Than debating our jobs while keeping us poor
They look at us in our classrooms with lessons to share
Then gut education like they don’t care
Let’s be real: Schools are underfunded, educators are stretched thin, and now those in power want to strip public education of more funding, erase hard-won protections, and silence the voices of teachers and students.
Oh, but they still expect us to make the magic happen.
I’ll be honest with you. I am exhausted.
The national news is relentless and chaotic: public education, the federal workforce, and entire federal agencies are all under attack. In the Washington, D.C,. area, these aren’t just headlines. These are my neighbors, my friends. They are real people, real families, real communities bracing for impact.
In addition to my work at the AFT and Share My Lesson, I also serve on my local school board. And here’s what I know for sure: When public education is cut, entire communities suffer.
For example, if the Department of Education is gutted, we stand to lose $20 million in funding for public schools in my community. That’s millions that support Title I schools, special education services, teacher training and resources for students who need them most.
But that’s just the immediate impact.
We have nearly 13,000 federal workers in our city. If job cuts continue, those families don’t just lose income. They lose their ability to pay mortgages, shop at local businesses, and contribute to our tax base. This doesn’t even include the federal agencies that have offices in our city.
And what happens when property tax revenue takes a hit?
If you think this impact is limited to the Washington, D.C., area, think again.
The federal workforce isn’t just in the nation’s capital. Federal agencies have offices in cities and towns across the country. The people who work for these agencies are your neighbors, your students’ parents, the volunteers at your local food banks, and the customers at your small businesses.
When those jobs disappear, it’s not just the families who suffer—it’s your schools, your local businesses, your entire community.
📉 More than 80 percent of the federal workforce lives outside the D.C. metro area.
📉 Layoffs have already surpassed 100,000 federal employees nationwide—affecting not just government workers, but local economies, schools and essential services everywhere.
📉 States like California, Florida, Georgia and Texas have some of the largest concentrations of federal employees in the nation.
Fewer jobs mean less money going into the local economy; lower tax revenue; and fewer resources for schools, infrastructure and essential services.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/politics/tracking-federal-workforce-firings-dg/index.html
And if public education funding gets slashed? The ripple effects will be felt everywhere—from urban districts to rural communities, and from red states to blue states.
This isn’t about just one city.
It’s about the stability of democracy, public education and communities across the country.
And that’s what worries me the most. Because public education and democracy are inseparable.
So when politicians slash public education funding, ban books and rewrite history, they’re not just attacking teachers. They’re undermining democracy itself.
Before I came to the AFT and Share My Lesson, my career was all about civic education. I spent years helping students understand the Constitution, the rule of law, and the power of their voice in democracy.
I started as an instructor for Close Up, a program that brings students to Washington, D.C. to see the government in action. I watched teenagers who had never left their hometowns walk through the halls of Congress and realize—maybe for the first time—that decisions made on Capitol Hill affect them, too.
Later, I became the director of civic education at James Madison’s Montpelier (yes, the home of the guy who wrote the Constitution). I worked with teachers, designing programs to help them make history real for their students.
And then I led Virginia’s We the People program, where students don’t just memorize constitutional principles—they debate them, apply them, own them. I saw kids who thought “government doesn’t matter to me” become passionate advocates for free speech, voting rights and justice.
And now? Funding for professional development in civic education for teachers is being cut.
But it’s not just civic education that’s under attack. It’s how we teach history, whose voices are included and what stories get told.
Look around, look around
Why they tryna silence what makes us proud?
History’s diverse, let’s teach it right
Or do they want kids learning in black and white?
The fight over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) isn’t just about political talking points—it’s about whether all students see themselves reflected in their education.
DEI—just three small letters
Yet they fight to erase what makes schools better
We the people? Or just some of the people?
How is erasing voices considered equal?
If we don’t teach history accurately …
If we don’t give students the critical thinking skills to recognize misinformation …
If we erase entire communities from the curriculum …
Then we aren’t preparing young people to be informed, engaged citizens.
That should concern all of us.
And this is why we can’t afford to sit this one out.
History is happening in every classroom—and educators are at the center of it. While some want to label educators as “too woke,” the real danger is staying asleep to the threats against public education and democracy.
If we care about public education, civic education and the future of democracy, then here’s what we can do:
The stakes are high. But so is our commitment.
History is happening
Educators are leading the way
And we will not throw away our shot
This is a moment in history where public education and democracy are being tested. But we know that education is the key to a strong, informed and engaged society—and we are not backing down.
If you’re looking for resources, conversations and community, join the Share My Lesson Virtual Conference on March 25-27, 2025 for three-days of PD that you choose with a community who cares about you.
And in the meantime, let’s stand together. Because when public education is under attack, so is democracy.
Public education is under attack, and the latest round of mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education signals a dangerous shift toward privatization and defunding essential student services. Natalie Dean breaks down what’s at stake, who will be most affected, and how educators, parents, and communities can fight back to protect our schools and students.
In this free, for-credit webinar, hear directly from President Weingarten on the issues that matter most and our work to support students, educators, families and communities. This year’s session will include a focus on the AFT's Protect Our Kids campaign to fight for public education and what our students of all ages need.
