BY GUDIEL CROSTHWAITE, SUPERINTENDENT

Public education is one of the few pathways to generational economic advancement, but it can only fulfill this promise when students have safe and secure learning environments. The current dismantling of public education and school funding, paired with hostile immigration policies, is a direct attack on the opportunities young people of color need and deserve.

I’ve witnessed firsthand how public education can transform entire communities. I was one of four brothers and one of the few in my hometown to graduate high school, and among even fewer to pursue higher education. School was my safe haven in a community where so many struggled. Now as a superintendent, I am committed to ensuring that every student sees themselves reflected in their education and believes in their potential for a better tomorrow.

That mission becomes more challenging as the education space becomes dangerously politicized. Students ask me if their programs will be cancelled, including the Pride and African-American youth summits that have become spaces where students feel valued and welcomed—programs that keep them engaged in their education. Creating these environments requires courage from all education leaders to stand firm in our commitment to serving every student, and protecting the public school funding that makes it possible.

In Lynwood Unified School District, most of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch and we serve significant numbers of English learners, foster youth, and unhoused students. The $19 million in federal funding we receive isn't just numbers on a spreadsheet. It represents critical support systems that ensure these students have basic necessities like food and housing. When funding is threatened, it means choosing between basic meal programs and advanced coursework opportunities. It means potentially cutting tutoring and after-school programs.

But here's the harsh reality we're facing: even as we work to preserve these critical programs, they won't matter if we don’t make school feel safe for our students. While we're defending funding for programs designed to support our most vulnerable students, we’re simultaneously watching public schools become a place of uncertainty. When families live in fear of deportation, students worry about ICE raids at their schools, and parents avoid certain areas due to rumors and racial profiling, students are kept from the very services they need most. A student can't benefit from free lunch programs, access mental health services, nor pursue college prep courses if they stay home out of concern for their family’s safety.

As education leaders, we have to use our positions to advocate and elevate the needs of our students and their families. We must:

1. Stand with our communities.

We need to commit to being visible, vocal, and unwavering leaders—especially when our communities face confusion and fear from immigration enforcement policies. Students and their families are looking to us for clarity and reassurance during these uncertain times.

2. Strengthen public knowledge.

We must help our communities better understand the complexities of public education and school funding—including through sharing resources and information to combat misinformation—so they can make informed decisions.

3. Elevate student voices.

Effective leadership requires us to actively listen to and elevate student voices. We need to recognize that our young people should not just be passive recipients of education, but active partners in shaping what their schools should become. We must champion programs and resources that we know bolster student success and make students feel like they belong.