Remember that letter? Courts block DEI enforcement threatening K-12 funds

Remember that DEI letter?

Early in the administration, President Donald Trump began throwing the weight of the White House behind a campaign pledge to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion across the country. By Inauguration Day, an executive order set out to ban DEI initiatives across the federal government. Come Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Education then sent a “Dear Colleague Letter” to warn all schools and universities to stay in line, too, lest they risk losing federal funding.

Now, three federal courts are putting a halt on any enforcement related to it.

In this weekly roundup, we’ll catch you up on this and other education updates you may have missed, like student bridge designs and new hires at the Delaware Department of Education.

(Did we miss another good education story? Let me know: kepowers@gannett.com.)

Courts block DEI enforcement threatening federal funds for K-12 schools

As of April 24, three courts across the country collectively blocked the U.S. Department of Education from enforcing its “Dear Colleague Letter” concerning diversity, equity and inclusion efforts sent to schools in February.

According to the ACLU, new orders block the department from enforcing the letter in any way, including through the later-issued certification requirement. Back in February, the letter sought to warn schools across the country they risked losing federal funding if they take race into account when making scholarship or hiring decisions, or even nod to race in any “other aspects of student, academic and campus life.”

This update stems from three different cases brought by school districts, educators and civil rights advocates in district courts of Maryland, New Hampshire and Washington D.C. Cases are still proceeding.

When the administration had sent an update – or “Reminder of Legal Obligations” letter on April 3 – Delaware Secretary of Education Cindy Marten kept her three-graph response short.

“DDOE and our subgrantees are committed to ensuring that every student has access to a quality education, free from discriminatory practices and policies and consistent with all applicable federal laws,” she penned April 14.

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Students lauded for bridge designs in DelDOT competition

The Delaware Department of Transportation wanted to see some of the state’s youngest engineering talent on display. In early April, its sixth-annual bridge design competition brought record turnout in 161 teams and nearly 500 students.

DelDOT hosted the all-day event at PolyTech High School, the department said in a press release April 17, fit with competitions to engage students on all things math, science and engineering. The top-three finishers for each grade bracket also landed scholarship money.

Those winners:

• Middle School

  • First: JOLT, Talley Middle School

  • Second: Big Brains, Shue-Medill Middle School

  • Third: The A’s, Georgetown Middle School

• Grades 9 and 10:

  • First: Golden Gate Warriors, Smyrna High School

  • Second: BLT Balsa Salsa, Smyrna High School

  • Third: The Studious Bunch, Polytech High School

• Grades 11 and 12:

  • First: The Baddest Bridges, Smyrna High School

  • Second: KJP Builders, Caravel Academy

  • Third: Pinnacle Princesses, Caesar Rodney High School

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Delaware Department of Education makes two new hires in top brass

Sec. Marten just made two new hires in the highest offices of Delaware public education.

She named Denise Carter the next deputy secretary for strategic initiatives and Adam Schott as associate secretary for student support, DDOE announced April 22. Both “career public servants” were scooped from the U.S. Department of Education, like Marten herself who was deputy secretary under the Biden administration.

Marten also situated their hirings as positioning to “prepare for the first major overhaul of the state funding formula in more than 75 years.” The new secretary, like the governor, has called a shift to a student-centered funding formula a top priority for the administration.

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Carter had worked on significant technology changes at the Federal Student Aid office. She previously led the department’s core operations, including finance, financial systems, acquisitions, grants, security, real property and human resources. Her work encompasses 30 years in federal operations, according to Marten.

Schott is also an expert on education finance, having been a leader in the Pennsylvania Department of Education and on the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. He served most recently as the principal deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, according to DDOE, where he played a key role in implementing the American Rescue Plan’s $122 billion education relief fund.

As of April 22, both hires are already at work.

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Got a tip or story idea? Contact Kelly Powers at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Remember that letter? Courts block anti-DEI enforcement in schools