Martin Luther King, Jr. Day & Disappearing Civil Rights

What a difference a year makes. In changes that range from symbolic to shocking, civil rights in the U.S. have experienced huge setbacks in the past year. Civil rights have been rolled back at a rate that recalls the rollbacks following the gains of Reconstruction after the Civil War.

We hope the civil rights setbacks we’re seeing now are temporary and, as people realize how fragile our civil rights are, everyone steps forward to protect them.

The civil rights rollback started on the first day of the new administration. In January, Executive Order 14173 (Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity) revoked the 1965 Executive Order 11246 (Equal Employment Opportunity). The 2025 executive order effectively removed anti-discrimination requirements for federal contractors and ended the enforcement of programs designed to penalize organizations that practice discrimination. In other words, although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 remains the law of the land, the federal government under the current administration is no longer enforcing it.

In April, President Trump signed Executive Order 14281 (Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy) aimed at narrowing civil rights protections and reducing the use of disparate impact to “the maximum degree possible.” Reducing the use of disparate impact in discrimination cases means that those claiming discrimination will have to show explicit intent to discriminate. For example, when state legislators gerrymander a district by splitting a black community, plaintiffs will have to show that the legislators explicitly intended to dilute the Black vote even when the impact is obvious. See NC senate districts 7 and 8 in Wilmington for an example of this type of gerrymandering.

The April executive order also repeals several provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and will alter the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The FHA and ECOA were originally passed by Congress to prevent discrimination in housing and lending; reducing enforcement makes it more likely that discrimination will occur.

Civil rights divisions in the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs have also been closed. Three civil rights offices in the Department of Homeland Security were set to be closed in April, but legal and public outcry amid the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement actions have kept them open.

The Department of Education has also sharply rolled back civil rights enforcement. In March, the administration announced that it was eliminating seven of the department’s 12 regional civil rights offices, impacting more than 6,000 open investigations. Offices in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco were shuttered. The offices in Atlanta, Denver, Kansas City, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. are still open.

The Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for ensuring that all students have equal access to education, including students from all racial backgrounds, students with disabilities, and sexual assault survivors.

Not content with dismantling civil rights enforcement, the administration is also attacking public knowledge about American history. The ironically titled Executive Order 14253 (Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History) seeks to ensure that all “public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties within the Department of the Interior’s jurisdiction do not contain descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living, and instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people (including persons living in colonial times) or, with respect to natural features, the beauty , abundance, and grandeur of the American landscape.”

It’s impossible to conceive of a true accounting of our nation’s history that excludes disparaging content.

Even national parks are being used to signal the federal administration’s remarkable shift away from honoring civil rights. Starting in 2026, the list of days that offer free admission to national parks no longer includes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Juneteenth, both federal holidays. Added to the list is Flag Day (also President Trump’s birthday) on June 14—which is not a federal holiday—among several other changes.

Although we no longer have free admission to national parks on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we can honor his work by recommitting to the goals of civil rights and high quality free, public education for all. Let's not allow our nation to slide back toward the horrific post-reconstruction days of unequal opportunity and rampant discrimination. It will take all of us fighting to turn once again toward progress for more rights, more equality, and more opportunities for all.

Top 6 in 2026! Legislative Priorities

Last week we introduced our TOP 6 legislative priorities for 2026 and highlighted the first two. This week we focus on numbers three and four. See the full list of legislative priorities here.

3.Repair the teacher pipeline by increasing teacher base pay and restoring and bolstering essential classroom, teacher, and student supports. Increase pay for all other school personnel. Teachers are the most important element of a high quality education for students. NC currently has lower salaries than all of its neighbors and ranks as one of the lowest in the Southeast. Reversing this trend to the bottom is essential to securing a quality education for our children.

Increase teacher salaries to the national average; reinstate supplements for advanced degrees. Increase per-pupil funding to the national average.
Significantly expand the Teaching Fellows Program and recruit more teachers of color.
Increase supplements and/or pay for high-vacancy positions.
Pay livable wages and full benefits to all school support personnel.
Restore full-time teacher assistants for each K-3 classroom.
Fully fund the class size mandates for grades K-3 and restore class size caps for grades 4-5.
Respect curriculum integrity and teachers' professionalism and decision-making authority. Increase mentoring support and professional development, especially for new teachers.

4.Promote student well-being and safety by creating safe and supportive learning environments for all students and teachers. Students who don’t feel safe or supported at school are less likely to attend. Student mental health needs continue to grow and require more trained staff to support both students and teachers.

Increase funding to hire more professionals (school psychologists, social workers, counselors and nurses) to nationally recommended levels.
Provide better mental health services and access for all children and families.
Provide trauma-informed training for all school staff with an emphasis on social & emotional learning.
Support policies that ensure safe, secure, inviting, and respectful schools for students and educators.
Implement positive approaches to discipline such as restorative justice programs.
Keep guns off school grounds.
Implement required violence prevention and threat-reporting programs at all schools.

Our first wEDnesdays for Public Schools was a success! Very committed public education supporters joined NCPTA and PSFNC at the NCGA on January 14. Many PTA members from around Wake and surrounding counties were joined by representatives from several advocacy organizations. We’re already looking forward to our next gathering on February 11.

We will meet on the second Wednesday of the month (through April) in front of the NCGA (Legislative Building) on Jones St. to speak up for NC’s public schools!

Bring your signs and your friends and join us! Sign up here.

11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

NC State Legislative Building at 140 E Jones Street, Raleigh

February 11
March 11
April 8

The NCGA met this past week but did not make any movement toward passing a 2025-26 budget. They are scheduled to meet in Raleigh again on Monday, February 9.

The Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee meets on Tuesday, February 3. You can find the meeting agenda and streaming information on the committee website.

Check the legislative calendar for more updates.

The NC Charter Schools Review Board met on Monday to review charter school renewals. They approved renewals for 37 charter schools. Renewals ranged from 3 years to 10 years. Notably, North Carolina's two statewide voucher schools received 5-year renewals despite being chronically low performing schools. Recordings of their meetings are found here.

On Monday, January 12, North Carolina’s 100 county boards of elections started sending absentee-by-mail ballots to registered voters who requested a ballot for the 2026 primary election.

This marks the start of voting for our March 3 primary election. Voters who have already requested absentee-by-mail ballots should receive them in the coming days. In North Carolina, any eligible voter can request, receive, and vote an absentee ballot by mail.

Find more information at Vote By Mail.

The absentee ballot request deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 17. Election officials urge voters who wish to vote by mail to request their ballot as early as possible to ensure there is time to receive it and then send it back to their county board of elections so that it is received no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day – March 3.

Jennifer Jones, doctoral student, is conducting a research study to learn how experienced elementary teachers stay strong and keep teaching, even when the job is hard. Many people know that resilience helps teachers stay in the classroom, but we do not know much about how teachers describe building it themselves. This study looks at two main things: getting support from other people (social teams) and having a clear purpose in life. By sharing their own stories, teachers will show how resilience helps them continue making a difference for their students.

If you have at least 5 years of full-time teaching experience and teach at the elementary level in a rural school in North Carolina, you may qualify to participate.

Participation includes completing a demographic survey and taking part in a 60-90 minute Zoom interview and follow up meeting. Participants will receive a $75 Amazon gift card.

See more details here.

Multiple Dates, 7:00-8:30 pm: Resilience and ACES. Learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and resilience. Join us for this award-winning, 60-minute film, Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope. This documentary examines how abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences affect children’s development & health outcomes in adulthood. This powerful movie is a conversation starter and a perspective changer.

REGISTER HERE

All screenings are on Thursday and include time for discussion. Invite a friend and contact us about setting up a private screening for your school staff, PTA, civic group, church, or synagogue.

January 22, 2026
February 26, 2026
March 26, 2026

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day & Disappearing Civil Rights

Top 6 in 2026! Legislative Priorities

Join us on wEDnesdays for Public Schools

Legislative and SBE Updates

Voting Has Started for the NC Primary Election!

In Case You Missed It

Calling on Elementary Educators!

Mark Your Calendar!

Words to Remember

Help us support public schools!