The U.S. Department of Education has requested school leaders to recommit to following Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits race-based discrimination in federally funded programs. This annual requirement has become contentious, as it appears to question existing compliance and raises ambiguity surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Many educators express confusion over the need to recertify, especially since they already uphold non-discrimination policies. The lack of clear definitions regarding violations related to DEI has also led to concerns over potential federal funding losses for schools that do not comply.
The confusion is this has never happened before. We already don't allow discrimination. Why would we certify if we're already making sure that we comply?
DEI is so ambiguous that I could talk to four people in our community, and they would all define it differently.
Unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these [civil rights] obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate.
States that fail to recertify could lose their federal funds, including grants intended for low-income students.
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