Ridding DEI from our education system

OPINION:

President Trump’s recent executive orders have dealt a heavy blow to diversity, equity and inclusion, but the work of removing it from the American education system is far from over.

While opponents of DEI seek to reestablish merit as the standard evaluative tool, leaders must be prepared for far-left activist educators to attempt to subvert the meaning of “merit” to justify their ends.

Control the language, control the narrative. Control the narrative, control the system.

But how could radical entities inside education co-opt something as straightforward as merit?

Just as they have redefined words such as fascism, racism and White supremacy to fit their far-left framing, they will find a way to bend merit and meritocracy to advance their ideology.

The system is already set up and primed for activist educators to make the case that DEI and race-based practices should be considered merit-based in education.

For starters, K-12 school districts nationwide have injected DEI metrics into the hiring process to screen applicants for their adherence to leftist ideas. Concepts of racial identity and “cultural competency” and other demonstrations of ideological purity have become commonplace as qualifications for employment.

For example, the University Place School District in Washington declares on its website that when it is “unable to hire educators of color to open positions,” it still plans to “emphasize cultural responsiveness and competence in the people” it hires.

Meanwhile, Brighton Central Schools in New York require that job seekers submit diversity statements with their applications.

Other districts, such as Poudre School District in Colorado and Community Unit School District 300 in Illinois, inject DEI-focused questions into the interview process to help weed out undesirable candidates. Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania intentionally selects job candidates “who have an aptitude for diversity, equity and inclusion to improve the school’s racial climate.”

Unfortunately, identity-based hiring preferences have become a valued standard.

Advocates claim that diversifying district staff, often code for race-based preferences and goals, is necessary to undo systemic racism and bring about racial equity. Districts regularly state that a teacher’s race is vital for minority student success. The “research” they base this on is questionable at best.

Still, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Illinois’ top STEM school, has implemented a modified “Rooney Rule,” which states that “every faculty opening requires interviewing at least two candidates who identify as a Black, Indigenous Person of Color.” The school also “incorporates best practices on diversity, equity and inclusion” into its hiring practices and includes “critical race theory.”

San Rafael City Schools in California laid out in its “Together 2024 Blueprint” a district goal of increasing the “numbers of teachers, administrators and classified staff of color by 10% for all groups.”

Bellingham Public Schools in Washington states in its affirmative action plan that one of its major goals is to “employ a more diverse pool of candidates that is reflective of our community and student demographics.” The district agreed with the labor union that when staff reductions become necessary, they would “prioritize keeping as many certified staff of color as possible.” Meeting race-based staffing goals trumps seniority and other merit-based criteria.

Systemic corruption does not stop there. DEI is also embedded in district faculty and staff evaluations.

For example, the Ladue School District in Missouri makes diversity, equity and inclusion the first standard in its teacher evaluations. While Goochland County Public Schools in Virginia includes it in its performance standards, teachers must demonstrate a “commitment to equity” and engage in “culturally responsive teaching.”

In Oklahoma, Durant Independent School District school counselors must be evaluated on how effectively they advocate for equity per the 2024-2025 negotiated contract.

Consequently, rooting out these divisive, and in many cases illegal, policies and structures will be more difficult than people may think. DEI is systemically embedded into not just the system but also the psyche of a large swath of individuals in K-12. They will not cede ground willingly.

The ideological gatekeepers in education are adept at controlling language and capturing the meanings of words. Expect that they will try.

Pro-merit leadership and the public would be wise to clearly and definitively define the meaning and application of “merit,” or they, too, will fall victim to far-left manipulation.

Americans must restore merit to its rightful place as a valued metric, and they must do so wisely and intentionally.

Controlling the language gives all American children the chance to thrive.

• Rhyen Staley is a researcher for Parents Defending Education. He has 15 years of experience as a public and private school teacher and coach at the middle, high school and college levels.