Illinois schools continuing DEI initiatives despite federal funding
threats
 [February 27, 2025]
By Ben Szalinski
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education is not telling
schools to stop any diversity, equity and inclusion lessons or programs,
the state’s education chief told a House committee this week, even as
the Trump administration threatens to pull federal funding from schools
that don’t stop.
State Superintendent Tony Sanders informed the panel that ISBE received
a “dear colleague” letter from the U.S. Department of Education earlier
this month informing schools that “under any banner, discrimination on
the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will
continue to be illegal.” It said compliance with federal discrimination
laws will be reviewed by the department by the end of February as a
condition of federal funding.
The letter asserts that diversity, equity and inclusion programs, also
known as DEI, “frequently preference certain racial groups and teach
students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that
others do not.” the letter stated.
“Such programs stigmatize students who belong to particular racial
groups based on crude racial stereotypes,” the letter stated.
President Donald Trump had previously signed an executive order
threatening to cease federal funding for K-12 schools that teach
“discriminatory equity ideology” or “gender ideology.” But it’s unclear
exactly what programs the state would have to end to comply with the
orders.
The letter has no legal force, Sanders said Tuesday, “and so I would
encourage districts to continue … teaching the way they’ve always
taught.”
Sanders acknowledged that roughly 10% of funding for Illinois school
districts could be at risk if the federal government ceases funding.
ISBE receives billions annually from the federal government.
“We don’t have a way to make up for that loss of funds,” he said.
Prompted by lawmakers to explain what equity means in Illinois schools,
Sanders said it means making sure all students have the resources they
personally need for their individual success. ISBE’s lineup of
initiatives designed to uplift a greater variety of students and
educators include special education programs, efforts to recruit more
minority teachers and mechanisms to improve grades for students of
color.
The data shows incorporating DEI is necessary, he said, pointing to the
2024 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also
known as the Nation’s Report Card.
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Illinois Superintendent Tony Sanders participates in a previous
Illinois State Board of Education meeting. (Capitol News Illinois
photo by Andrew Adams)
The results showed significant achievement gaps among different
subgroups of students in Illinois. In fourth grade math, for example,
there was a 32-point gap between the average score for white and Black
students. Eighth grade math assessments had a similar 32-point gap.
Even so, the committee’s ranking Republican debated the importance of
initiatives designed to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Maybe we should start focusing on excellence a little bit more,” Rep.
Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, said. “We have a great equity center and
focus right now and I think it’s led to some of these dismal results. I
think if we focus more on the specifics of reading and writing and math,
it would stand to reason that those scores could come up.”
Sanders responded by saying incorporating DEI isn’t changing classroom
curriculum.
“What you see in the curriculum are high levels of quality instruction
across the state,” Sanders said. “Again, there’s always room for
improvement but all I see is teachers trying to meet the needs of their
students.”
Separate from uncertainty over the future of federal funding to Illinois
education, ISBE faces a tightening budget picture in the coming fiscal
year beginning July 1.
ISBE requested a $497 million increase to $11.4 billion of general fund
spending from state lawmakers, but the budget proposal Gov. JB
Pritzker’s delivered to lawmakers last week would spend $200 million
less. Pritzker also proposed about $100 million less for “mandatory
categorical” aid for expenses such as transportation and special
education.
Pritzker’s budget plan does include the annual $350 million increase to
evidence-based funding for K-12 schools.
“We are very conscious of the state’s tight fiscal environment, and we
have prioritized the most crucial funding streams and those investments
that we believe have a most direct impact on students,” Sanders said.
Peter Hancock contributed.
Capitol News Illinois is
a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state
government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is
funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R.
McCormick Foundation. |
