We’re two first-year public school teachers in Tennessee. We met this year—one teaching middle school social studies, the other high school Geometry for English New Language learners—and immediately found common ground in our students, our shared frustrations, and our stubborn hope that public education can still be a force for good.

Teaching has been everything we expected and nothing like we imagined. It’s exhausting and beautiful. Chaotic and grounding. And no matter how prepared we thought we were, nothing quite readied us for the emotional weight of watching policy decisions made far above our heads affect the kids sitting right in front of us.

In April, the Tennessee State Senate passed SB0836—a bill that would ban undocumented children from accessing public school. The language is quiet. The intention is not. We knew we couldn’t sit with that and do nothing.

So we started Pedals for Pencils. It began as a wild idea between two exhausted teachers who also really like to bike. But it quickly became something more—a way to protest what’s happening in our state, raise awareness beyond our own classrooms, and raise money for the things our students need most. We’re asking for $500 each to fund our classrooms next year. Any funds beyond that will go directly to organizations in Tennessee supporting immigrant families and fighting legislation like SB836.

This summer, we’ll be biking over 300 miles across Vermont. One pedal at a time, we’re pushing back against silence, exclusion, and the steady dismantling of the public school system. Thanks for riding with us.