Four teacher preparation programs receiving federal dollars are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education after it received “credible reports” that they illegally discriminate by targeting aid toward non-white teachers.
According to information obtained by The Federalist, these programs are “designed to recruit, retain, and support future educators,” but some also operate with explicit racial intent to artificially alter the “diversity” of a teacher workforce by providing services based on race. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which is conducting the investigation, said the programs could be in violation both of Title VI and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for race or sex discrimination, respectively.
“Race, national origin, or sex should not decide who will shape America’s next generation, yet many states and universities seem to prioritize recruiting and training ‘minority’ candidates rather than evaluating candidates based solely on merit,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey told The Federalist. “Education agencies and institutions that consider race, national origin, or sex as a means to withhold opportunities in selecting, supporting, and preparing teaching candidates violate federal law and compromise education excellence. The Trump Administration will fully investigate these allegations and ensure a future where students are once again judged on their hard work and merit, not prejudged by the color of their skin or their sex.”
The programs come from both institutions of higher education and state education agencies.
The City University of New York (CUNY) is under investigation for its NYC Men Teach Program which “aims to improve the diversity of the NYC teaching workforce by adding 1,000 male teachers of color into the teacher pipeline,” according to its website. The program surpassed that racial quota goal in 2018, and maintains finding candidates from the 16 CUNY campuses as well as a new effort to find candidates from high schools.
The University of Maryland (UMD) School of Education received a nearly $100,000 grant from the Maryland Higher Education Commission’s Teacher Quality and Diversity Grant Program, providing aid to “students from groups historically underrepresented in the teaching profession.” It specifies that “historically underrepresented” meant “African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Hispanics/Latinos, those from low-income backgrounds, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities.”
However, although it is possible groups like “low income,” “first-generation college students,” and disabled persons could be white, the “eligibility” portion of the program states “priority is given to historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions with a track record of preparing diverse and high-quality teachers.”
White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has stated that removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) discrimination and other left-wing ideologies from universities will be one of his focuses in the role.
