JOHN,

I’m a first-generation American of Honduran descent. For me, this is personal.

My father taught me that education was everything — that public schools were how kids like me could build opportunity, stability, and a future. School wasn’t a political battleground for my family. It was a lifeline.

That’s why what just happened in Sarasota County matters to me.

Before I get into what happened, please help us win critical school board races. Educated We Stand is working to win critical school board races — and we can’t do it without you. If you can, chip in today to help us support pro-education candidates and stop extremist takeovers before they spread.

The school board passed a resolution pledging “full cooperation and collaboration” between public schools and ICE — an effort pushed by board chair and a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, Bridget Ziegler. It passed 3–2 after HOURS of debate.

But even the school district admits this resolution changes nothing about how Sarasota County Schools work with law enforcement. 

So why pass it? It’s political theater designed to inject national culture wars into local schools and make fear feel normal for families. For families like mine, that kind of messaging matters. When schools stop feeling safe and welcoming, trust breaks down. Kids suffer. Communities suffer.

At Educated We Stand, we treat moments like this as early warning signs.

We organize in school board races — often low-turnout, overlooked elections — because that’s where extremists try to take control quietly. We support pro-education candidates who believe schools should serve every student, not political agendas. Chip in today to help us fight back against lies and defend our schools. Public education changed my life.

I won’t stop fighting to protect it.

— Karla Hernández-Mats, EWS Chair

Paid for by Educated. We Stand.