State of Education in the Virgin Islands

Floor Speech

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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, as we in Washington argue over the budget and the depletion of FEMA funds for rebuilding, children in the Virgin Islands are suffering from excessive heat in classrooms that has affected the academic calendar year of students in the territory. Excessive heat has literally contributed to substantial interruption of the learning at a critical part of the school year.

Students have been so deeply affected by these issues that they have taken to the streets on the island of St. Croix to protest what they believe to be the current administration's lack of maintenance of the school. Our students have embraced the spirit of protest that runs so strongly in the heritage of Virgin Islanders as a means of challenging the establishment.

A week ago, St. Croix teachers, led by a local arm of the AFT, executed a job action and staged a strike to call attention to a myriad of issues that continue to plague the schools in the territory--lack of AC units or fans amidst a heat wave, much-needed electrical upgrades, limited supplies, et cetera. The students themselves joined the teachers, and I am incredibly proud of the youth.

We need to put pressure on FEMA. We need to work collaboratively together to get these schools in the order they need to be for the children. Virgin Islanders must come together for our children.

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