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Though it’s been overshadowed by the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the Trump administration made an interesting retreat in the “anti-DEI” part of its education agenda last week.
Last February, the administration issued a letter stating that it considered diversity, equity and inclusion programs to be illegal discrimination. The letter also characterized teachings that reference systemic or structural racism as a form of “toxic indoctrination.” Threatening to rip away federal funding, the administration had also sought to force schools and colleges to sign a letter certifying that they don’t have DEI programs.
These measures sent schools scrambling to comply or resist, as EdSurge reported.
In the latest, the administration has dropped its appeal against an unfavorable court ruling from August about whether they broke the proper rulemaking procedure.
Lawsuits against other anti-DEI measures are still pending. Those include a suit against a portal the administration set up for tips about K-12 schools with DEI programs, which is currently nonactive.
Randi Weingarten, president of the teacher’s union American Federation of Teachers — one of the groups that brought the suit — has commented that, as a check on executive power, the lawsuit is the most important her organization has brought against the administration this term, per reporting from The New York Times.
This was the second lawsuit the administration quietly stopped fighting recently, after abruptly changing course on hundreds of Education Department employees.
— Daniel Mollenkamp, EdSurge reporter |
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🗞️ IN OTHER NEWS
LIFE SAVER: Much has been written about how teaching can harm educators’ mental health. In this deeply personal essay, EdSurge Voices of Change fellow Dan Clark shares a different story about how entering the classroom helped him survive severe depression, find purpose and build meaningful connections with students and families. His reflection is a reminder that teaching, while hard, can also be profoundly life-giving.
HIDDEN HUNGER: Discussions have long swirled around children’s food insecurity, most recently peaking with the paused Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Even with the program reinstated, a new study found that caretakers for children are struggling with hunger more than ever. |
🔗WHAT WE'RE READING
In Wisconsin, child care programs struggle to hire teachers, so slots stay vacant. (The 74)
Here’s how two children’s bookstores in the Twin Cities are trying to serve as a refuge against ICE. (Publishers Weekly)
Columbia Heights Public School in Minnesota says ICE detained five of its students, including a 5 year-old who it used as bait to catch his parent.
(MPR News)
Teachers are quitting to find better benefits so that they can afford to have children. (The Washington Post) |
📈 STORY IN A STAT
53
The number of bills about the use of artificial intelligence in education proposed in state legislatures across the country last year, according to analysis from The Center for Democracy & Technology. Last year brought “unprecedented attention” to AI, the nonprofit said. And these bills proposed to boost AI literacy, require guidelines and guardrails for use in classrooms and tackle issues like cyberbullying. Of those bills, four states passed AI in education bills — Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, and New Mexico.
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Events
See all events and meetups
CEC 2026 Special Education Convention and Expo | March 11-14 |
Salt Lake City, UT
Attending the CEC 2026 Convention & Expo in Salt Lake City is a can't-miss opportunity for educators dedicated to supporting students with exceptionalities. No matter your role, you can drive educator and student success by attending CEC 2026.
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EdSurge is an editorially independent project of ISTE+ASCD
reporting on the powerful forces, fascinating people
and innovative practices shaping teaching and learning. |
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