The fact that families have to fear leaving their homes in the U.S. says a lot about the state of our country. But it’s not just families who are feeling fear during these difficult times. As ICE’s presence looms in major cities, so many Americans are feeling on edge. A Virginia teacher is one of these individuals. Working at a middle school, she sees a lot in one day. But she never expected that she would have to worry about why a large portion of her class is missing from school.
TikToker @she_is_really_cool, a middle school teacher in Richmond, says, “More kids are missing today from school.” She says she teaches middle school and wondered why so many children aren’t in class. She talked to a lady working at the food truck in front of her school so she could try and find answers. When she asked about what’s going on, the worker told her, “ICE just grabbed a bunch of people from the apartment complex behind our middle school. They were there early that morning.”
This teacher took action and drove by the children’s neighborhood after school, worried for them. When she drove through the area, she noticed their soccer field is empty. That’s unusual because, even in colder weather, there were always children playing outside there. She said several entrances to the apartment complex were closed off, which was also unusual to see. She’s worried that some of these families have been ripped apart by ICE.
Since then, she checked her school’s policies on ICE and what you can do if they arrive at your school. Her school’s policy states that you should “let them in.” You’re supposed to take the agent to a private room and politely ask them to leave if they can’t give you a warrant. She says this is the “most weak [expletive] policy I’ve ever seen. This is Virginia right now. We need to come together to protect these kids.” It’s so refreshing to see an educator who cares about bringing light to the horrific nature of what these kids are enduring.
One commenter praised her, “Watching this from Finland. I am so sorry. You make a difference! Small ripples can make big waves, you know!” Another teacher commented, “That’s basically our school district’s policy, too, and I’m one district over from St. Paul, Minnesota. Fortunately, they are starting a virtual option next week for kids who don’t feel safe attending in person.” Someone has to protect these families, and it’s a start when schools come together to help.
