VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse citizens protest Department of Education cuts
Washington D.C. protest crowd: Fund our schools! Fund our schools!
Vincent Zakian: Those are scenes from Washington D.C., one of many protests across the nation against President Donald Trump’s proposed federal funding cuts to education. Syracuse, New York has something similar going on.
Kevin Salamone: It seems like DOGE, they’re just kind of going through and just slashing stuff. They don’t know what they’re doing, and they’re causing all kinds of trouble. It’s just an awful situation.
Zakian: That’s Kevin Salamone, a local Syracuse City School District teacher protesting the potential education cuts outside of Syracuse City Hall. Salamone was not alone in his concern.
John Osborn: I think outrage was the last time around. Outrage was the way. we gotta find a new way.
Zakian: And while it is still up in the air whether or not President Trump will follow through on his promised cuts, these Central New Yorkers have clearly identified their source of potential rebellion.
Greg Flick: I’m here because of the attacks on public education. It’s something near and dear to my heart. My congressman, John Mannion, was also a public high school teacher in sciences, and I know that he understands this completely.
Zakian: Mannion took a stance on federal cuts back in January, calling them chaotic and irresponsible. For now, all of Central New York will have to wait to see what becomes of our schools.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Protests have broken out across the United States over the many massive changes to federal programs in the first two months of President Donald Trump’s second term. One of the major subjects causing unrest is education. Protests pleading to keep public schools funded have popped up in the nation’s capital, as well as Syracuse.
Back in January, Trump laid out his plan to slash federal funding, maintaining that he wants to put education policy in the hands of individual states. One of the potential sufferers as a result of the cuts would be the Department of Education.
Trump has maintained his desire to put education policy in the hands of the states, which could potentially lead to further expulsion of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives throughout the country. In efforts to make their voices heard in opposition to this, Central New York citizens protested in the snow outside of Syracuse City Hall.
Kevin Salamone, a teacher in the Syracuse City School District, said, “It seems like DOGE (is) just kind of going through and just slashing stuff. They don’t know what they’re doing, and it’s causing all kinds of trouble. It’s just an awful situation.”
At a protest supporting federal workers and education, Salamone was not alone in his stance. He was also not the only educator who felt passionately about keeping public school funding alive.
“(Public education is) something near and dear to my heart,” said fellow SCSD teacher Greg Flick. “My congressman, John Mannion, was also a public high school teacher in sciences and, I know that he understands this completely.”
In order to remove an entire federal agency, which Trump has shown intent to do within the Department of Education, he will need congressional approval. When Trump initially announced his federal funding cut plans in January, John Mannion cautioned against them.
As an elected Democrat, Mannion will likely be expected by many to stand against Trump’s budget-slashing initiatives.
“I think outrage was the (way) last time around…we have got to find a new way,” said Syracuse local John Osborn on how citizens should stand against the potential cuts.
It is worth noting, that while the future of federal education funding is still uncertain, Syracuse City School District announced on Wednesday that they will see a $34 million budget increase for next year.