lite prep schools aren’t the only institutions where teachers and students are being schooled in equity, diversity and anti-racism.
While the battles over woke pedagogy at New York City’s Brearley, Grace Church and Dalton academies play out on the national stage, less noticed have been the growing numbers of public school districts jumping on the diversity, equity and inclusion bandwagon — in blue and red states alike.
That includes crimson Oklahoma.
Last year, the Norman Public Schools hired its first full-time DEI director. According to documents obtained by the Parents Defending Education, it then spent $22,750 on equity consultants during the 2020-2021 academic year, even as the district lost students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nicole Neily, president and founder of the newly formed parents advocacy group, said the Norman school district’s social justice tilt is “part of a larger trend” in K-12 education.
“What’s interesting to me is that so many people have a misimpression that this is a California or Manhattan issue, and this shows that this is in red states. This is in conservative areas,” said Ms. Neily. “This is a public school district, but it’s in places where I think a lot of community members aren’t even aware that this is in their backyard.”
The group formed in March while parents were feuding with district officials over the growing influence of anti-racism and equity doctrine, sometimes called critical race theory. Read more…
