Trump threatens public schools with funding cuts over DEI programs. - FIVE MINUTE NEWS

[Rhiannon12866]

The Department of Education on Thursday sent a memo to states receiving Title I funding threatening to withhold federal money from any public schools that do not eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The move is an escalation by the Trump administration in an effort to force public schools across the country to comply with an executive order—which characterizes DEI as “illegal discrimination”—signed by Donald Trump. - 04/03/2025.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. So, if teachers and/or Google Classroom programs have essays about

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Black History Month, Cinco de Mayo, etc., that's "DEI" and the schools across the state will lose federal money?

Sounds like an arbitrary excuse to withhold needed federal money to public schools.

BTW, without federal money, property taxes could and will increase to subsidize public education.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. It's also bigotry which I was hoping was universally condemned in this day and age, though I agree with you

I keep thinking of my late great 9th grade history teacher who taught us quite a bit about the Civil Rights Movement and having grown up in a fairly diverse community, I thought this was important. How can they erase this essential part of our history? Would my teacher be fired today? He was pretty tough, they'd definitely have a fight on their hands.

And yet they have mandated the 10 Commandments be displayed in some classrooms?? How is that not DEI?? *sigh*

I remember when I was in the early grades we used to say the School Prayer along with the Pledge. It wasn't particularly religious, but when I was still in elementary school they replaced it with "a moment of silence," where we kids could pray if they wished. Then that disappeared and nobody missed it. I went to school in New York and I can't imagine them turning back the clock here.