Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
The American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association are suing the Trump administration over a threat of funding cuts and investigations of schools that integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into their policies or lessons.
The letter schools received purports to reinforce anti-discrimination laws – but casts efforts to hire or help disadvantaged people of color as a form of discrimination.
Roderick Castro, assistant superintendent of educational services at Santa Rosa City Schools, noted that the letter criticizes using race as a factor in hiring and training.
“A letter like this is basically giving them the directive to abandon those,” said Castro. “That cuts us off at the knees. We’re looking for educators to be more representative of the students that are in the classrooms. It’s a blow, more of a gut punch, to us.”
The letter is critical of courses that involve certain racial groups. Castro said ethnic studies classes rightly lift up students’ cultural heritage.
And he said he thinks teachers and students should be free to examine the facts about topics like slavery or civil rights.
Schools were given until Friday, February 28, to comply with the Trump administration’s anti-DEI directive. Meanwhile, many colleges are pulling back, even reevaluating campus groups like the Black Student Union.
Educator in Southern California speaks out
Chuck Flores, PhD, is an associate professor of educational administration at California State University-Los Angeles and UCLA – and teaches social justice and educational leadership at Cal State LA.
“We have to provide an open forum for all people of all races to discuss what it is that we need to achieve as a country,” said Flores. “Eliminating DEI doesn’t really go in that direction. I just feel that we’re going down a dark hole we’re not going to be able to pull out of, if people don’t wake up and start taking a stand for what’s right.”
The letter from the Department of Education also says diversity and social justice are not valid reasons to take race or a proxy for race into account for admissions and financial aid.
