The Trump administration is threatening to withhold federal funds from public schools that have diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is forwarding the memo to local schools.
The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to state leaders, asking them to certify their compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. It went on to say that any violations — including the use of DEI programs to advantage one’s race over another — is impermissible.
In a statement Thursday, Horne claimed DEI programs promote racial discrimination and said he’s been working to get them out of Arizona schools.
Horne said schools must attest that they will comply with the guidance in order to continue getting federal funds. Schools have until April 14 to respond.
This comes a day after he forwarded another letter saying schools must share gender identity information with parents.
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The Arizona Board of Education is in the process of making changes to the state’s A-F letter grade system for public schools. -
The Scottsdale Unified School District is considering school closures as it faces declining enrollment. At a governing board meeting on Tuesday, the district presented seven options for potential closures. -
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that a former Tucson charter school director and others were indicted for allegedly stealing education dollars to pay for jewelry, trips to casinos and other extravagances. -
Two ASU professors are showing a very personal documentary at the Venice International Film Festival, which is taking place through Sept. 12. And they’re doing it with new technology, which allows for a more immersive experience. -
The climate and sustainability program at Discovery Partners Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign wants to find ways to get people heat information that is more specific to particular locations at particular times, rather than a static kind of map.
