Educators across Massachusetts are mobilizing, learning immigration policies and familiarizing themselves with their students' rights now that President Trump is authorizing federal agents to enter schools.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's decision to rescind a policy that bars agents from entering "sensitive locations" — namely, schools, churches and hospitals — has sparked fear among schoolchildren and their families, school officials say.

Catch up quick: School districts across Massachusetts have started sending letters home explaining they will follow student privacy laws.

• Those include not asking students about immigration status or sharing student information with federal authorities without a judicial warrant.

The latest: Educators are also reading up on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement playbook and sharing resources students and their parents can use to prepare for the possibility of being detained, teacher unions say.

What they're saying: "There's a reason why schools… are supposed to be protected: because we want to make sure that our students, regardless of immigration status, are going to school and receiving the education," says Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts.

• The AFT is holding a nationwide webinar for teachers about immigration enforcement today.

Zoom in: Some school districts have trained principals and shared information internally, while others have teachers undergoing Know Your Rights workshops from local immigrant advocacy groups.

• In Chelsea, where nearly half of residents are born outside the U.S., teachers are connecting parents with community organizations to come up with emergency plans in case families are separated, says Kathryn Anderson, president of the Chelsea Teacher's Union.
• Worcester Public Schools warned bus drivers not to drop off students if ICE agents are present at a bus stop.
• Boston Public Schools, where roughly half of students speak a language other than English at home, declined to comment on how teachers and staff are responding to the policy change.

The other side: Some states, such as Oklahoma, are embracing the policy change.

• The Oklahoma School Board approved a rule requiring K-12 schools to collect families' immigration statuses when enrolling children in school.
• The Florida Department of Education said it would cooperate with the Trump administration, but school officials in Miami reminded principals to follow student privacy laws.

Keep reading: What the law says

🛑 The White House rescinded the memo that ordered a freeze of federal grant, loan and other financial assistance programs, a day after it was temporarily blocked by a judge. (Axios)

• Yes, but: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X the move is not a reversal on the funding pause, just a rescission of the memo.

✏️ Northeastern University has wiped references to diversity, equity and inclusion after President Trump's proposed funding freeze for institutions supporting DEI. (Huntington News)

• The university's DEI Office is being replaced with the "Office of Belonging."

📚 Massachusetts schools still struggle to get their reading and math scores back up to pre-pandemic levels, per the "Nation's Report Card" released yesterday. (Globe)

🦠 Bird flu has become "widespread" in Massachusetts, killing wild and domestic birds in multiple communities. (NBC Boston)

• Officials are urging residents not to handle any sick or dead birds and report them to the state.

A new rugby team will make its debut this spring: the Boston Banshees.

Driving the news: The Women's Elite Rugby unveiled the team names for Boston and the five other cities participating in the inaugural season.

• The other teams are the Bay Breakers in California, the Chicago Tempest, the Denver Onyx, the New York Exiles and the Twin Cities Gemini.

Zoom in: The Boston team's name gives a nod to the banshees described in Celtic folklore.

• Their screams were believed to signal impending doom.

Fun fact: Dorchester is home to the Banshee, an Irish pub that gets traffic from international soccer and rugby fans.

• Only time will tell if they'll see more interest in rugby once the WER season starts.

Tell a rugby fan

Looking for a fat paycheck? Consider jobs in Washington, D.C., Massachusetts or Alaska.

Driving the news: That trio is home to the country's highest median annual pay as of December 2024, per payroll firm ADP.

By the numbers: Residents of the nation's capital are taking home a median $100,800 annually (it's good to be a lobbyist!).

• It's $75,700 in Massachusetts and an even $70,000 up in Alaska.

Reality check: Sure, getting a big beefy check every payday is nice. But the highest-paid areas also tend to have higher costs of living, and vice versa.

👋🏼 Steph here. Working from home can be lonely, especially in the dead of winter.

• So I'm inviting folks to join me as I do some unofficial co-working.

Details: Catch me at Remnant Brewery in Bow Market next Tuesday, 10am-3pm.

• If you can't make it, we're also meeting up Feb. 11.

Be smart: I'll have some snacks available, but you should buy some coffee or tea at Remnant, like every other patron using their space.