In a bid to keep equity in education front and center, Massachusetts AG Andrea Joy Campbell is spearheading an 18-state coalition that's urging the U.S. Department of Education not to abandon its commitments to diversity and inclusion. The group sent their argument over to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, voicing concern over the proposed shift in grantmaking initiatives that could potentially sideline these critical matters. The coalition's plea, first detailed by mass.gov, pushes back against new proposed priorities they feel could erase strides made in promoting inclusivity in learning spaces.
The coalition warns that dropping these commitments would be particularly detrimental to districts already facing inequities; these include disparities in resources, quality of education, and broader opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds, and amidst a national shortage of qualified teachers, these priorities are vital for leveling the educational playing field. They argue that contrary to the Department's stance, initiatives that encourage diverse perspectives and educational access are essential for preventing bias and fostering a sense of belonging for all students, rather than being "discriminatory" and "divisive" as the Department had suggested. Their position aligns with federal laws that mandate inclusive education practices, suggestive of a potential legal mismatch should these priorities be sidelined.
These equity and diversity priorities, the coalition maintains, are distinct from traditional affirmative action and should not be conflated with cases like Students for Fair Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard Coll., which the Supreme Court ruled on in 2023. They underscore that well-executed diversity and equity policies are tools for combating unlawful discrimination and are proactively designed to elevate student and teacher morale and tear down barriers to inclusion.
Enforcing these policies also keeps schools in step with federal laws like Title VI, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), all of which outline nondiscriminatory practices as a condition of receiving federal funds; implying that a move away from these priorities may place schools at risk of legal noncompliance. In their strong-worded letter to the Department of Education, AG Campbell and her fellow attorneys general are calling for the inclusion of the previous administration's supplemental priorities to ensure adherence to these legal requirements and uphold educational fairness for all students.
Assistants from AG Campbell's team, including Assistant Attorney General Adelaide Pagano and Division Chief Yael Shavit of the Consumer Protection Division, handled the coalition's response. The supporting states range from coast to coast, with Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington all signing the comment letter in a unified front for education equity.
