The new anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion portal launched by Department of Education aims to undermine opportunities for students to succeed

WASHINGTON—On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education launched a new anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion portal to chill and stop education and instruction that ensure every child has access to the resources and opportunities needed to learn. This measure to stamp out equity threatens the real programs in the public schools where 90% of all students, and 95% of students with disabilities, learn. This gimmick is the latest attack by the Trump administration on long-standing federal civil rights laws. 

 The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle: 

“As I talk to educators and parents around the country, what I hear from most everyone—regardless of political affiliation or whether they live in rural, urban or suburban America—is that we all want all students to have the opportunities and resources they need to succeed.  

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs create a sense of belonging where we all feel comfortable sharing our ideas and lived experiences. It gives people who look and sound like me and who come from communities like mine, or who speak a different language, or first-generation college students, a foot in the door and the opportunity to reach their full potential.  

“The politicians and their followers attacking these long-standing and successful programs are looking to create a problem where one doesn’t exist. They want to divide us so we’re not paying attention to their real agenda, which is gutting our community public schools to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. More to the point, it’s astonishing that Trump and his loyalists currently in charge of the Department of Education are creating political stunts like this instead of using precious taxpayer dollars to do the very real work of ensuring opportunity and access. The administration shut down more than 10,000 civil rights investigations as one of their first actions, more than half of which were for students with disabilities.   

“Let’s not let politicians distract us from the real issues facing public schools. We know what’s at stake. That’s why we are coming together—parents, students, and educators—to make sure every child, regardless of race, ZIP code, or family income, has the opportunities and resources they need to live into their brilliance.” 

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  The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org