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Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘DEI' resolution fails after USBE members' disagree on language
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A motion by the that sought to remove remaining Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Utah schools has failed after members of the board couldn't come to an agreement on the resolution's language and effects. Voting 4 to 10, members of the board had expressed concerns regarding the resolution's impact on existing programs and the language used within the resolution. The board reported during the meeting that several members had received 'hundreds' of emails regarding the resolution, including concerns over how the resolution would affect programs like Latinos in Action and special needs programs. 'I think we have overwhelmingly heard from those that care deeply across the state about programs that are impacted and targeted by this language,' Sarah Reale (D – District 5), member of the Utah School Board. 'Do we believe there is a space or language that would actually be acceptable and be something that the public would approve of? To me, we already have a law in place. We don't need this resolution, there are better things we can be working on right now.' PREVIOUS: USBE cites communism in new resolution to remove DEI The resolution, sponsored by Christina Boggess (R – District 8), sought to be an enforcement resolution for laws that were passed by the State Legislature in the 2024 General Session. It used language saying DEI was 'attempting to achieve the Soviet Communist goal of actual equality,' and used 'ethnic minorities' to advance communism in society. 'I am sure that I will offend some of you. However, this resolution is nonsense,' Jeanetta Williams, President of the Salt Lake Branch NAACP, said in a letter addressed to the school board. 'American DEI grew from US domestic politics, not soviet thinking. Passing the resolution with the Soviet reference would be an embarrassment to the State of Utah.' The letter penned by Williams also expressed concerns over the vagueness of the resolution. Saying that it had not listed specific programs, thus the resolution could confuse local school districts in their application of the resolution. In an amended version of the resolution, shown at the board meeting, language was added to affirm individual rights and to clarify that the resolution wouldn't affect special education programs. After the motion failed, several measures followed to postpone the measure to next month's meeting, or to postpone voting on the measure indefinitely. Both motions failed. A further measure to send a response to those who had contacted the board regarding the measure failed as well. The meeting moved to lunch and the measure was not revisited. It is currently unclear whether the board will return to the issue. In speaking with a representative of the board, was told that 'significant changes' would have to be made to the resolution to be heard again by the board. Otherwise, the board would have to vote to reconsider their action in a future meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
USBE cites communism in new resolution to remove DEI
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The (USBE) is considering a resolution that mandates the removal of remaining DEI initiatives and calls on local school districts to do the same, citing communist influences. The resolution, listed in the board's meeting agenda for Thursday, asserts that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs (DEI) are still present within 'schools, trainings, USBE, and auxiliary items,' despite laws that were passed by the legislature for their removal. It goes on to say that DEI programs are 'attempting to achieve the Soviet Communist goal of actual equality' and using 'ethnic minorities' to advance communism in society. READ: Utah Lawmakers passed H.B. 261 during the 2024 State Legislative Session 'DEI at its core is 1920s Soviet Union policy for using ethnic minorities to advance the installation of Communism,' the resolution reads. If passed, the measure would direct state staff and personnel to 'immediately disband any and all (DEI) practices' and rescind any documents, training, programs, curriculum, and policies relating to DEI. In addition, the resolution would call for local districts to do the same, expecting compliance 'immediately,' but no later than June 30. 'This resolution is [not] controversial,' Christina Boggess (R – District 8), member of the Utah State School Board, told 'There is an overt obfuscation and blatant disregard for [] among many within the USBE and our Local Education Agencies. After waiting more than five years for the agency to respond to the people's voice and ultimately comply with the code, this resolution would assert that the leaders elected by the people take this issue and agency non-compliance seriously.' The resolution comes after the Trump Administration gave schools a deadline to . On Jan 20, President Trump issued an directing federal agencies to terminate DEI programs across the federal government. The Department of Education then issued new guidelines three days later in accordance with Trump's order. 'Our public schools have put time and resources implementing and following the requirements of H.B. 261. This resolution is unnecessary, creates misleading narratives, fuels culture wars, and is, frankly, embarrassing,' Sarah Reale (D – District 5), member of the Utah State Board of Education, told in a statement. 'It is unfortunate this is how we will be spending our limited Board work time, when we could be working to support our students, teachers, and families in Utah.' reached out to other school board members who raised concerns over the resolution's language and the impact it would have on special needs students. 'Many of my constituents are worried about how this resolution will affect special education students. Although special education law does not use the term 'inclusion,' many parents see it as related to their child's educational experience in a general environment with their peers,' , member of USBE, told Wood continued: 'Raising a child with special needs has its own joys and challenges, and as a Board, we should not add to their concerns with a non-binding resolution that brings more confusion than improvement. In schools where statute related to H.B. 261 is not being complied with, we should target those areas specifically.' reached out to all 15 members of the board, and four have replied so far. Out of those who responded, three members indicated they would not be voting for the resolution, one indicated that they would. The board is set to debate and vote on this measure on April 3 during the regularly scheduled board meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah State Board of Education to consider resolution tying DEI programs to communist goals
The Utah State Board of Education building is pictured on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. (McKenzie Romero/Utah News Dispatch) Are diversity, equity and inclusion programs explicitly 'attempting to achieve the Soviet Communist goal of actual equality'? That will be part of a resolution the Utah State Board of Education is scheduled to discuss, and perhaps adopt, on Thursday. Five Republican board members signed on to back a proposed resolution to remove DEI from Utah schools — Christina Boggess of Taylorsville, Cole Kelley of Vineyard, Joann Brinton of St. George, Rod Hall of Syracuse, and Emily Green of Cedar City — supporting a draft containing Trump Administration orders and a lot of Soviet Union terminology. 'The Utah State Board of Education directs its employees and subsequent staff, instructional and administrative personnel to immediately disband any and all 'Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Practices;'' the proposal reads. 'Moreover, the agency shall immediately disband and rescind all associated documents, training, programs, curriculum and policies.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The state school board still doesn't have an official statement on the resolution since the board hasn't discussed it yet, a communications person for the board said, and Boggess, who is coordinating the effort, didn't reply to a request for comment on Tuesday. The move stirred concerns from Utahns who oppose more DEI regulation in the state's education system. Especially, since there's already a Utah law in place that tightly restricts deploying DEI programs. When HB261 became law in the summer of 2024, all public institutions in Utah banned programs that 'promote differential treatment' and may exclude some based on their race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion or gender identity. As anti-DEI law takes effect, students and staffers share 'great sense of loss' 'Of all of the anti-DEI things I've read in politics and in policy, this is the most far reaching and the most frightening,' Sarah Reale, one of two Democrats among the 15 state school board members, said on Tuesday. Citing the recent implementation of that anti-DEI policy, Reale questioned the necessity of such a resolution when Utah schools have spent the last year making substantial cuts to diversity programs and are already in compliance with new federal orders prohibiting DEI. 'We have tons of work to do — helping students' math scores improve, helping find ways to provide teachers with professional development opportunities, finding ways to support parents in the schools.' Reale said. 'So to spend time on something that, to me, is blatantly just inciting fear, and that doesn't help our teachers or students in their learning environment (…) is embarrassing. The resolution is embarrassing.' Utah State Board of Education resolutions aren't binding, they are just approved statements that express the opinion of the board's majority. However, the draft resolution cites a Utah Constitution provision that gives the board control and supervision powers over public schools and programs designated by the Legislature. However, Reale said, whether or not the resolution is enforceable isn't the main issue. 'It's the principle, it's the tone, it's the message that it sends that's hurtful and scary,' she said. Approving these kinds of resolutions, 'feels very Big Brother, very big government,' which, she added, isn't the role of the state school board. The resolution explains how a series of words and programs used in the Soviet Union may relate to DEI efforts — 'коренизация (korenizatsiya), which maps to 'inclusion,' and разнообразие (raznoobrazsiya), which means 'diversity,' in the sense meant by Lenin who described it as 'diversity in form to arrive at unity in content.' DEI at its core is 1920s Soviet Union policy for using ethnic minorities to advance the installation of Communism,' the five board members wrote in the resolution. The authors also criticized the terms 'identity politics' and 'inclusion,' which they define as 'programs, processes or implemented ideas that emphasize including, affirming and protecting counter-hegemonic perspectives at the expense of universal and objective truth.' Those correlations, Reale said, are false analogies. 'You cannot say that words in different languages mean the same thing and cross over with the same definition in English,' she said. 'It feels very McCarthyism. It screams Red Scare. It's frightening language.' The resolution also has DEI as a synonym of Critical Race Theory, an academic discipline examining racial disparities in the country, which has existed for decades but became a hot culture war debate during Trump's first term. 'DEI is not equal to CRT,' Reale said. 'CRT is not found in any of our schools. We have looked and reviewed for anything that could be even a glimmer of CRT taught in our schools in Utah. They don't exist. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
