The Fight for Public Education: The Critical Battle to Save the Department of Education

Pantsuits and Lawsuits with Attorneys General Kris Mayes and Dana Nessel

When public education comes under attack, who stands in the breach? Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes take us behind the scenes of their critical legal battles to protect students, teachers, and the very institution of public education in America.
Their fight is deeply personal. Nessel shares the story of her son with significant learning disabilities whose life was transformed by a dedicated teacher who continued teaching while battling terminal cancer. "She wasn't ready to die until Zach had finished fifth grade," Nessel recounts. That boy, once considered unlikely to read or write, later graduated from Michigan State with a 4.0 GPA. For Mayes, whose mother and sister both served as public school teachers, these attacks on education compelled her return to politics after a decade-long absence.
The attorneys general detail their successful legal actions to prevent the dismantling of the Department of Education, protect AmeriCorps programs training desperately-needed teachers, and ensure promised ESSER funds reach school districts that had already committed to projects. Their interventions have prevented devastating budget shortfalls for already underfunded schools across America.
NEA President Becky Pringle, drawing on her 31 years teaching middle school science, offers powerful insights into education's connection to democracy itself. "You could follow the trajectory of a society," she explains, noting that falling societies invariably begin by "taking away the right of its citizens to learn." From book bans to curriculum censorship to teacher intimidation, the current climate threatens not just academic achievement but the foundation of democratic participation.
The conversation exposes the false promise that dismantling federal education programs would simply transfer funds to states, pointing to evidence from Arizona where universal voucher programs have diverted billions toward private education while draining public resources. As class sizes grow, special education supports vanish, and teachers face unprecedented pressure, the attorneys general remain committed to their fight for America's educational future.
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Chapters

1. Introducing Education Legal Battles (00:00:00)

2. Saving the Department of Education (00:01:10)

3. Impact on School Districts (00:03:34)

4. Personal Stories of Public Education (00:04:40)

5. Interview with NEA President Becky Pringle (00:10:17)

6. Education's Role in Democracy (00:17:54)

7. Teachers Under Political Pressure (00:25:36)

8. Closing Thoughts and Call to Action (00:30:32)