Help our beloved ELL teacher stay at our neighborhood school!

Our kids’ beloved and exceptional teacher is at risk of being forced to leave the country because Dr. Lewis Ferebee, the Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), refuses to fulfill the commitment DCPS made to sponsor green cards for international educators.

We, the families of our neighborhood public elementary school in D.C.’s Ward 5, are fundraising to help our beloved teacher pay for more than $15,000 in legal fees to fund a legal alternative work authorization process.

Our kids, our community, and our country simply can’t lose this widely beloved, dedicated, and highly effective teacher. Kids in Pre-K through 5th grade feel his kind and caring presence. He has not only shaped what our children know, but who they are becoming.

For nearly a year now, families and educators advocated for funding for the green card program at the D.C. Council, and our councilmembers allocated the funding to fulfill the commitment. However, Chancellor Ferebee has refused to use the funding for the green card program. It’s clear that we can’t count on him to do the right thing here, and our community now needs to fill this unacceptable gap.

Why must we keep our teacher? Here’s how one fourth grader put it in her testimony before the D.C. Council:

“I learn from these teachers and I love them so much. These teachers are so important to us. They help us speak Spanish and learn new language skills. These teachers are kind, thoughtful, hard working, fun, sweet, and helpful. My classmates and I would feel devastated if these teachers had to leave our school and our country forever.”

Your donation will help us keep our beloved teacher in the Bunker Hill community. Together, we can show the power of our community to do what’s right for our kids, our school, and our city as a whole.