Some Philadelphia teachers and lawmakers say they're worried about new Education Secretary Linda McMahon — and her and President Trump's plans for the U.S. Education Department.

They say budget cuts will be felt by students nationwide, including in our region.

Opponents rallied Tuesday morning at Widener Memorial School at Broad Street and Olney Avenue. More than a dozen people spoke about the Trump administration's proposed cuts at the event, part of a National Protect Our Kids Day of Action.

"Stop the attack on public education. Stop the attack on our children. Stop the attack on our future," said Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, at-large majority leader. "When is enough, enough?" 

Earlier in the morning outside of Prince Hall Elementary in the city's Ogontz neighborhood, members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers union (PFT) rallied and handed out flyers.

"I'm hoping that the community sees us out at all of the different schools in the area," said Michelle McGuire, a first grade teacher at Prince Hall and a PFT building representative. 

PFT, which represents 14,000 educators in the city's public schools, says hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake if federal funding is blocked, including $56 million in special education.

Mr. Trump campaigned on dismantling the Department of Education. But only Congress has the power to do that.

Later, union members, elected leaders and a high school student spoke out, focusing on concerns over cuts to federal funding. 

"Hearing there's a possibility that [the Department of Education] might be taken down is sad, and I don't want it to happen. I want people who are like me, like all of y'all, to get an opportunity like I had," said Taisha Cruz, an 11th grader at Widener Memorial School.

Widener's mission is to educate students with physical and medical disabilities in an environment with positive attitudes and high expectations, according to its website.

"I don't want this to end," Cruz said. "I don't want to think about all the people that is behind me like in lower grades. I don't want them to struggle."

The events come a day after McMahon was confirmed as the new education secretary. Overnight, the former WWE executive sent a department-wide letter, writing in part: 

"Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the president they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education."

"If they want to dismantle it they have to do it by law. So a letter from Linda McMahon, a tweet from Donald Trump does not change that reality," said Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, a senior attorney at the Public Interest Law Center. 

A Pennsylvania Department of Education spokesperson told CBS News Philadelphia that while the U.S. Department of Education is the most significant federal source of funding for programs administered by the state's department, it's not the only federal source.

"For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides to Pennsylvania each year $1.5 million for food and nutrition program," a statement from the spokesperson read in part. "The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services supports PDE's Office of Commonwealth Libraries with about $6 million in funding each year."

The Department of Education is also a funding source for the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the spokesperson added. 

"Not all funding from the federal Department of Education flows to state agencies. In fact, the biggest portion of funding goes directly to Pennsylvanians through student loans – more than $4 billion each year," the statement read in part.

Ralliers in Philadelphia said this fight is far from over and they're encouraging their community to stand with them.