[Update: two federal district courts just ruled that the Trump directives are on hold because they are allegedly too "vague" about DEI. Suits were brought by the teachers' unions and the ACLU---the usual complainers. Since many schools are signing the agreement, it seems that there is actually general understanding of the directive. We feel confident the Trump administration will prevail.]
All seven members of the city of Dayton board of education are thumbing their noses at the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle DEI programs in schools.
The board voted unanimously to refuse to sign a letter sent to U.S. school districts, asking schools to reaffirm a commitment to non-discrimination according to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Title VI. A representative of the district was to sign the letter committing to non-discrimination in all school actions, including using DEI programs to “advantage one’s race over another.”
Dayton board members said it would limit the schools’ ability to do their jobs if they reject so-called “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs by signing this document.
They are the first school district in the state to refuse to sign, and that foolish decision may cost the district around $50 million federal dollars. When one attempts to research how Dayton Public does spend money, transparency is missing. A search on the Ohio Checkbook site under “Dayton Public School District” yielded a page that contained no information.
Perhaps the district opened a page and it was never completed. Perhaps it has been disabled for some reason.
Dayton joins other Ohio school districts Ashland, Athens, Bay Village, Beachwood, Berea, Chillicothe, Circleville, Columbus, Cleveland, Dublin, Gahanna-Jefferson, Groveport-Madison, Lakewood, Mansfield, Middletown, Newark, Niles, Olentangy, Painesville, Princeton, Springfield, Warren, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Wooster, Youngstown and Zanesville in being absent from the Ohio Checkbook site.
Some financial transparency for local parents and taxpayers would be appreciated, don’t you think? Many school districts are listed on the site and for that, Ohio parents are thankful.
As I reported recently, in 2021 the Dayton Public Schools embraced, through then-mayor Nan Whaley, a document entitled, “In Support of Critical Race Theory in Public K-12 Education.” That document states in part that there are quote, “...racial inequities in all facets of life in the United States, and these racial inequities continue to the present day.” The document also claims that “race intersects with other identities, including sexuality and gender identity.”
So let’s get this straight. Dayton board members cannot sign a document saying the Dayton schools don’t discriminate? The school staff can’t do their jobs without programs that do judge staff and students based on skin color, which is against federal and state law? They can’t do their jobs unless they are able to embrace and promote “LGBTQ” behaviors throughout the school day?
The Dayton superintendent, Dr. David Lawrence, specifically mentioned not liking the use of the word “equality” in the Trump letter. He prefers “equity,” which as most of you know is the new term being deployed to level things up through permissible preferential treatment for those considered disadvantaged, as well as sometimes removing merit-based achievements of those classified as “privileged.” In other words, it’s Marxism applied to education.
The superintendent also mentioned he didn’t want to deprive “students who are part of the LGBT community” of certain programs. So once again, educators parrot the homosexual/trans activist agenda and insult and ignore the viewpoints of faith conservatives, who consider this conduct immoral, unnecessary and far more serious than just being part of a “community.”
The school board says they can’t do their jobs without DEI, but apparently Dayton teachers aren’t doing their jobs now. According to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce report card for Dayton, the third grade reading proficiency in Dayton Schools is 40.6%. That is, 59.4% of their students at the end of third grade are not proficient in reading. Fewer than that are proficient in math. Yet over 97% of these students are promoted to fourth grade. Something is very wrong here.
Maybe what’s needed is a lot less DEI and a lot more ABCs.
Always remember when you hear DEI, it’s not just about race, according to its advocates. Under its umbrella of “marginalized” groups, DEI includes those identifying as homosexual or gender confused. The DEI narrative maintains that these behaviors are inborn traits similar to race, which is yet another lie.
Regarding the Trump administration document, it appears most Ohio schools are signing it, that is, they are saying they will not be practicing the blatant discrimination that goes along with DEI. So that is the good news, if it’s true that these schools won’t be practicing discrimination. If any are not being truthful, they face possible federal lawsuits.
If only Dayton school leaders decided to do something truly beneficial for their students, like teaching them to read and rewarding true achievement while closely mentoring low performance. It would be a lifelong service to their students and to the community.
But practicing actual discrimination on the basis of race, or against those who object to school “LGBTQ” propaganda, is not “diversity, equity and inclusion.” You can paint lipstick on this pig all day long but it’s still a rigid and ugly ideology based on conformity, inequality and exclusion.
And it’s a huge betrayal of our children.
