Take Action: Defend #EducationForAll!
Every Kid Deserves Access to a Quality Education
WHAT’S HAPPENING: In April 2025, the Senate passed a bill (SB836) that allows public schools to profile our children and deny them entry based on documentation status. The House version (HB793) will likely be up for a vote in 2026. If it passes the House, it becomes law.
WHY THIS MATTERS: Thanks to Supreme Court decisions like Plyler v. Doe, as a country we have already decided that education is a right, not a privilege — no matter what you look like or how you got here. If HB793 passes, it can prompt a legal battle that could open the door to deny children the right to learn across the country.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: We were able to pause this bill last year thanks to actions of regular people like you across the state, but the fight isn’t over. Learn how to take action below.
Ask Your School Board to Pass a Resolution
Elected members of school boards serve as your community’s voice in public education. They should work for the passage of laws that advance the cause of improving public education and for the repeal or modification of laws that impede that cause.
A resolution is a statement of the will or opinion of an elected body. Because this legislation is permissive, that means that your school board has the option to opt in or opt out of discriminating against immigrant families in your district. By passing a resolution stating that they will not participate in this law, your district will make a public commitment to serving every child in their district. This both protects immigrant families, as well as sends a clear message to the state that our communities do not support discrimination.
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Sign Your Local Petition:
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Don't see your county listed? Use this toolkit to get started!
Contact Your Representatives
Find your State House Representative by clicking here. From there, you can find email addresses and phone numbers. ​
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Click Here for a Sample Email and Call Script​
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​You can also schedule meetings with your school board members, and their information should be available on your school district website or through your district’s central office. Whether meeting your legislator or school board member, here is some guidance on how to structure your meeting.
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Questions to Consider Prior to Your Meeting
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How will you introduce yourself and your organization?
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What are your priority talking points on the issue?
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Will you prepare materials for the legislator?
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What questions and/or pushback are you anticipating?
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What are your key takeaways if you have an unexpected limited time?
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Talk To Your
Neighbors
It was thanks to the actions of thousands of ordinary people like you across the state that delayed HB793/SB836 last session, and it’s going to take all of us to defeat that bill for good.
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Talk to your neighbors about why it matters that every kid has access to a strong education, regardless of what they look like or how they got here. Ask them to take action by signing your local petition, attending a school board meeting, or calling your representatives.
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You can take the next step by making your message public by making a public comment at your local school board meeting or submitting your message to the paper as a letter-to-the-editor. Below are some other ways to spread the word:
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Share your local School Board petition.
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Share this graphic explaining the bill (English and Spanish)
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Share graphics from the social media toolkit.
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Have another idea? Email our Public School Strong leaders.
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Unsure of how to effectively talk about these issues with your neighbors or officials? Click here for We Make the Future’s Guide to Messaging Our Freedoms.
Join The
Movement
This issue is just one of many attacks on our students, but we have a vision for public schools that is bolder, more abundant, and more inclusive. Public School Strong is a campaign fighting to win honest, equitable, safe, and fully funded public schools in every corner of the state. Your local action can have statewide impact. Learn more by attending one of our monthly orientations. Once you take the pledge, we’ll send you a t-shirt in the mail and get you connected with other neighbors in your county who’ve done the same.
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Join Public School Strong Tennessee:​
1. Attend the orientation and make the pledge.
2. Get your FREE t-shirt in the mail.
3. Join other PSS TN members at your monthly School Board meetings
4. Build the movement for honest, equitable, safe, and fully-funded public schools in Tennessee.
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Learn more about who we are and how to get involved by clicking here.
