Richmond Needs a Green New Deal for Public Schools
DSA has launched a campaign in support of Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s Green New Deal for Public Schools. The consequences for Richmond would be profound.
by Nathan Arries
Every day, millions of public school students, teachers and staff work and learn in crumbling, unventilated buildings that swelter in summer and freeze in winter. It’s no different in the city of Richmond, where public schools have been historically underserved by local leadership and educators’ unions have been demonized and subject to recurrent anti-worker campaigns. Now, during a precarious return to schools in the middle of a resurgent pandemic, it’s high time we stand with teachers and their students.
The Green New Deal for Public Schools Act of 2021 (H.R. 4442) is a step in the right direction. It will invest an unprecedented $1.4 trillion over 10 years in America’s K-12 public schools to build the carbon-free, climate-resilient schools of tomorrow. That funding will create 1.3 million jobs per year and eliminate 78 million tons of CO2 annually, while also hiring more teachers and staff, removing toxic materials, expanding community services and closing the education gap. The bill includes: $486 billion towards Green School Facilities; $250 billion towards Resource Increases; $100 million towards Community Engagement; and $695 billion for Accessibility.
This bill would greatly benefit Richmond public schools which are among the most underfunded in the country. It would also fund special education and para-educational services and staff, which are desperately needed by the city’s disabled students. This is a top priority for me as chair of the Disability Rights Caucus of Richmond For All.
Learn More
Read Rethinking Schools’ editorial on the Green New Deal for Public Schools
Learn more about the Sunrise Movement’s campaign for a Civilian Climate Corps
Take Action
Become a member of Richmond For All and join our Disability Rights Caucus or our Public Education Campaign Committee
Phone Bank with DSA in support of the PRO Act and the Green New Deal for Public Schools
Join the national fight to win a Green New Deal for Public Schools
Nathan Arries is a disabled immunity and political activist based In Richmond Virginia. He is chair and founder of Richmond For All’s Disability Rights caucus and a lead organizer for DSA’s Green New Deal campaign as well as the Disability Rights working group.
