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Dear President Trump and Members of Congress:
We write as educators in support of the U.S. refugee resettlement program. Refugees are our students and their parents; our friends and fellow teachers; and valued members of our communities.
Refugee children have suffered from stolen childhoods. They have endured more than any child should ever have to, including for many the death of a parent or sibling, kidnappings, bombings, walking continuously day and night, sexual assault, years in a refugee camp, and other traumatic events. Every day, we see firsthand the resilience, passion for learning, and determination of refugee children and parents who overcome these obstacles.
Children learn best when they are safe, healthy, and valued. Refugee resettlement provides children who have been forced to flee their homes due to their parents’ race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group an opportunity to begin again–to heal, learn, and grow. Resettlement is the last resort for refugees who are forced to flee from their homes and cannot find safety in a nearby country.
Grateful for the opportunity to live in safety and peace, refugee children work hard to pursue their dreams and foster skills that will help them build a better future. They will grow up to be the next generation of scientists, entrepreneurs, doctors, authors, artists, lawyers, teachers, and more. They will also become powerful ambassadors of American values and democracy to their countries of origin and the world at large.
It has been a privilege to watch refugee children learn about the ways that this country values freedom, liberty, and equal opportunity. Interacting with their parents is similarly heartwarming and humbling, as they have courageously sacrificed so much for their children’s future and are steadfastly committed to education and excellence for their families.
We’re proud that this country has welcomed Jewish refugees during World War II, Vietnamese refugees in the 1980s, and, more recently, refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, the Sudan, and many other countries experiencing turmoil. Our leadership on refugee resettlement has encouraged more than 27 other countries to establish or increase their own resettlement efforts, and refugee hosting countries to keep their doors open.
We urge you to support refugee resettlement and affirm the transformational role it plays in the lives of refugees themselves and community members like us who are forever changed by our interactions with these resilient new Americans. Thank you for your public service, in this country that stands for so much to so many.
Sincerely,
Arizona
Patricia Always, RCIA, Franciscan Renewal Center, Paradise Valley, Arizona
California
Patrick Higgins, Theology Teacher, Catholic Social Teaching, La Salle High School, Pasadena, California
Janet Kraus, English Teacher, Vista High School, Richmond, California
Linda Ziegahn, PhD, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
Marguerite Multani, UTLA-R, Los Angeles, California
Colorado
Heather, U.S. Program Officer, The Women’s Bakery, Denver, Colorado
Lindsay Jackson, Colorado State University, Denver, Colorado
Naomi Olson, Denver, Colorado
Connecticut
George Cooksey, Guilford High School, Guilford, Connecticut
Katy Reddick, Frank Ward Strong Middle School, Durham, Connecticut
Georgia
Dr. Myrtle Lewin, PhD, Professor Emerita of Mathematics, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia
Kelsey Smith, After School Class Instructor, Freedom Middle School, Stone Mountain, Georgia
Dorothy Foster, ESL for Adults of White County, Cleveland, Georgia
Sherry Perkins, Special Education (retired), White County Middle School, Cleveland, Georgia
Idaho
Amanda Laib, Instructor of Geology and Chemistry, College of Western Idaho, Boise, Idaho
Illinois
Susan Michalowski, Librarian, St. John of the Cross, Western Spring, Illinois
Laura Smith, English Language Teacher, Indo-American Center, Chicago, Illinois
Mary Hope Griffin, PhD, Oakton Community College, River Forest, Illinois
Kelsey Howard, International Admission Counselor, Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois
Iowa
Tawnua Tenley, Mount Vernon Community School District, Mount Vernon, Iowa
Kansas
Teresa Van Zant, Green Springs Elementary, Olathe, Kansas
Christy Bomberger, Frontier Trail Middle School, Olathe, Kansas
Kentucky
Chasati Haden-McCowan, Danville High School, Danville, Kentucky
Maryland
Carrie Noel-Nosbaum, World Language Teacher, Hammond High School, Columbia, Maryland
Karin Radhe, Teacher, German & French, Hammond High School, Columbia, Maryland
Massachusetts
Sarah Riad, BSN, RN, University of Massachusetts, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Michigan
Alice Gallmeyer, SLP Intern, East Leonard Elementary, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Michelle Haight, 6ELA Teacher, Clawson Middle School, Troy, Michigan
Nichole Hartrick, STEM Middle School, Dearborn, Michigan
New Jersey
Sarah Vanacore, Learning Specialist, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, New Jersey
New Mexico
Debra Taylor, New Mexico Philharmonic Young Musician Initiative, Albuquerque, New Mexico
New York
Anine Booth, Wildlife Conservation Society, Pearl River, New York
Dr. Martha Chatterjee, Refugee Resettlement Educator, Committee on Teaching about the UN (CTAUN), the United Nations in New York, New York
Ellen Freiberger, New Rochelle, New York
Aileen Heiman, Park Slope Jewish Center, Brooklyn, New York
Rebecca Reimers, Pre-school Lead Teacher and Career Educator, White Plains, New York
Amy Nathan, Author of educational books for children, Larchmont, New York
Anna Spoden, Associate Director of Special Education, New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math & Science III, Brooklyn, New York
Meredith Hall, The New School for Social Research, New York, New York
Nadia Kalman, Reading Tutor, PS 315, Brooklyn, New York
Randi Weingarten, Teacher on Leave, Clara Barton HS, Brooklyn, New York
Brooke Elizabeth Pierce, EdM, Freelance Adult ESL Instructor and Graduate Student, International Development, Buffalo State College Community Academic Center, Buffalo, New York
Lois Margaret Franco, The Fort Hamilton School, Brooklyn, New York
North Carolina
Jennifer Gallo, New Hanover County, Wilmington, North Carolina
Mrs. Decerie Herrera, Refugee Resettlement, NCVA, Cary, North Carolina
Lauren Locke, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina
Susan Miller, Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington, North Carolina
Kahla Nelson, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina
Katie Thompson, Music Education, Duke School, Durham, North Carolina
Paige Ryan, Millbrook High School, Raleigh, North Carolina
Poul Ashley Prio, East Cary MS, Cary, North Carolina
Oregon
Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie, University Chaplain and Director of Center for Peace and Spirituality, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon
Laura Adams, Warner Pacific College, Portland, Oregon
Pennsylvania
Sean, Project Learn School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Rabbi Alanna Sklover, Germantown Jewish Centre Religious School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dr. Sarah Stanlick, Director, Center for Community Engagement, Faculty, Sociology & Anthropology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Dr. Caryl Waggett, Chair, Global Health Studies, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania
James M. Calderone, EdD, Misericordia University, Dallas, Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Alli Barns, AZ Kelley Elementary, Nashville, Tennessee
Texas
Aisha Bhadelia, Social Studies Teacher, Economics and Sociology, Round Rock High School, Round Rock, Texas
Alethia Garrett, Kindergarten Teacher, Idea Rundberg Academy, Austin, Texas
Cheryl Kaufman, PhD, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Amy Miller, Director of Education, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, Dallas, Texas
Julia Laws Moser, Western Hills Elementary, Fort Worth, Texas
Amanda Peters, AP Human Geography, Frisco High School, Frisco, Texas
Courtney Tyler, Lubbock Christian University, Lubbock, Texas
Marlee Vandergrift, Communities In Schools Intern, Indian Spring Middle School, Waco, Texas
Linda Abramson Evans, Lecturer, English as a Second Language, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
Kathryn Boswell, retired special educator, 33 yrs, Public school systems in Austin, Texas
Vermont
Jennifer Cohen, Clarendon Elementary, Rutland, Vermont
Dr. Emily Gleason, Castleton University, Castleton, Vermont
Kathleen A. Guinness, Poultney Elementary School (retired), Poultney, Vermont
Dina Janis, Bennington College, Bennington, Vermont
Robin Ogg, Speech Language Pathologist, Rutland Intermediate School, Chittenden, Vermont
Allison O’Brien, ESL Instructor and Global Programs Associate, Vermont Academy, Saxtons River, Vermont
Catherine Grant, High School French Teacher, St. Johnsbury Academy, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Virginia
Katharine G. Panfil, Ph.D (retired), Arlington Public Schools, Arlington, Virginia
Thomas J. Shields, M.A.T., PH.D., University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia
Taylor F. Walle, Assistant Professor of English, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia
Washington
Christina Kerstetter, MEd, Education Policy, Sammamish, Washington
Washington DC
Roland L. Reed, Associate Professor of Playwriting (retired) The Catholic University of America, Department of Theatre and Drama, Washington, DC