Latest news with #Underly
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsin among 16 states that, so far, refuse to sign anti-DEI certification requested by U.S. Department of Education
Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction won't approve a federal anti-DEI certification request, potentially putting state school districts' federal funding at risk. Here's what we know: On Feb. 14, the education department sent a letter to school districts nationwide as notice of its interpretation of illegal discriminatory practices, such as support programs for historically marginalized communities. Then, on April 3, the U.S. Education Department announced it was requiring all state education leaders overseeing K-12 school districts to certify antidiscrimination obligations or risk losing federal funding. The department requested state education commissioners, like Wisconsin's DPI Superintendent Jill Underly, to certify their compliance with Title VI, which prevents racial discrimination, and a 2023 Supreme Court decision, SFFA v. Harvard, that outlawed race-based affirmative action programs. The department asserts that certain diversity, equity and inclusion programs violate antidiscrimination law. The DPI raised concerns over the request, saying they appear "unlawful," but received no response from the education department to its questions. The Department of Education said it could cut federal funding to any state or local education agency with DEI programs. The U.S. education department accounts for $568.2 million in education funding, which is equivalent to over 6,100 educator jobs, according to DPI. Overall federal funding to Wisconsin schools accounts for $842.9 million, which includes Department of Education funding as well as $273.6 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which goes toward student meals. Federal funding supports low-income schools, special education, free and reduced lunch and Head Start, which is already facing a major funding drop. In the Milwaukee area, federal funds account for 2%-20% of total district funding, with Milwaukee Public Schools at 20%. Around Green Bay, federal dollars make up 4%-10% of total funding, and in the Fox Valley, those funds make up 3%-11%. In Milwaukee: MPS could lose millions in funding if it doesn't abide by new federal guidelines In Green Bay: 'Nonsensical': Green Bay schools cut inclusion in job descriptions under federal funding threat In Appleton: How Fox Valley schools are changing their DEI messaging to avoid losing federal funding The DPI announced April 18 it won't submit the certification, saying the Education Department hasn't responded to its questions and that the order lacked clarity and failed to follow procedure around imposing funding conditions. But the DPI did submit certifications that every Wisconsin school district will comply with 'all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements,' such as Title VI, Title IX and FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Title IX protects students from sex discrimination, and FERPA is a student privacy law. Those district certifications are submitted at the beginning of every school year, Underly said, and they show that the state upholds antidiscrimination law. Notably absent from the list was the SFFA v. Harvard affirmative action decision. The DPI isn't collecting certifications from districts, so schools can't independently certify. Underly said she spoke to several district superintendents, who all agreed with the DPI's decision. 'They also see the perspective that they're in compliance with the law already,' Underly said. 'They want to focus on doing what's best for kids and families.' Wisconsin is one of 16 states that declined to certify the request as of April 18, according to EdWeek. Sixteen states and Puerto Rico have said they intend to certify the request, and the rest haven't said. Contact Green Bay education reporter Nadia Scharf at nscharf@ or on X at @nadiaascharf. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Federal education funding at risk in anti-DEI certification request
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsin DPI rejects Trump administration request for certification on DEI ban compliance
State Superintendent Jill Underly said "Washington, D.C. should not dictate how schools educate their kids." Underly pictured with Madison La Follette High School Principal Mathew Thompson and Madison Public School District Superintendent Joe Gothard in the hallway at La Follette in September 2024. (Photo by Ruth Conniff/Wisconsin Examiner) The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction rejected the Trump administration's request to certify compliance with a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion in K-12 public schools. State Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement that Wisconsin schools are following the law. 'We've put that into writing to the USDE,' Underly said. 'We believe in local control in Wisconsin and trusting our local leaders – superintendents, principals, educators – who work together with parents and families every day to support students. They know their communities best. Washington, D.C. should not dictate how schools educate their kids.' The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter earlier this month to state agencies across the country requesting that agencies check with local school districts to ensure they don't have diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The federal administration is trying to apply the U.S. Supreme Court's Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision, which said race-based programs in higher education violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, to K-12 education. The administration said state agencies needed to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Supreme Court decision. Wisconsin is one of several states, mostly led by Democrats, that have pushed back on the request. The Trump administration, which has been targeting diversity efforts in K-12 schools as well as in higher education and other sectors, has threatened that it could pull funding from states that don't comply with the request. Wisconsin schools receive $841.9 million from the federal government, making up about 8% of the total funding for schools across the state. Funding from the Department of Education makes up $568.2 million of that, and according to DPI, this is equivalent to 6,106 educator jobs. According to the letter, DPI provided the Department of Education with copies of previous certifications of compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The agency said that its repeated requests for additional information about the new certification request went unanswered. In an April 9 letter, DPI asked for clarification on why the federal government was requesting another certification and asked the Department of Education to answer questions including whether the requested certification seeks to enforce any requirement beyond what is required by federal law and regulation and what legal authority the Education Department is using to make the request a condition of federal aid. 'If the certified assurances are insufficient to meet the conditions of federal funding imposed by USDE, please articulate the basis in law for imposing these conditions, as well as an explanation as to why these assurances do not fulfill those requirements,' DPI General Counsel Benjamin Jones wrote to the Department of Education. Underly said the new certification is a way for the federal government to 'directly control the decisions in our schools by conditioning federal dollars. This is a serious concern – not just for the DPI, but for anyone who believes in lawful, transparent government.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction won't certify Trump administration anti-DEI request, risking federal education funds
Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction won't approve a federal anti-DEI certification request, potentially putting state school districts' federal funding at risk. "This is about local control,' state superintendent Jill Underly said. 'It's about Washington, D.C., wanting to dictate how schools from Racine to Green Bay to Ashland educate their kids." On April 3, the U.S. Education Department announced it was requiring all state education leaders overseeing K-12 school districts to certify antidiscrimination obligations or risk losing federal funding. After raising initial concerns over the request's lack of clarity and apparent overreach, the DPI said April 18 it won't submit the certification, saying the education department hasn't responded to those concerns. In a response to the federal agency, DPI general counsel Benjamin Jones included assurances from school districts that they'll comply with 'all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.' But one key request from the education department was missing from the DPI response: compliance with a 2023 anti-affirmative action decision. The DPI received no responses to the questions it raised about the certification. Underly said she couldn't sign in good conscience, because she didn't know what she'd be agreeing to. "This letter that they sent us was their interpretation of what should be followed. But that's not law,' Underly said. "Wisconsin schools are already following a law that's in place, and that's what our letter made absolutely clear.' The department requested state education commissioners, like Underly, to certify their compliance with Title VI, which prevents racial discrimination, and a 2023 Supreme Court decision, SFFA v. Harvard, that outlawed race-based affirmative action programs. In the letter requesting certification, the Department of Education asserted that certain diversity, equity and inclusion programs violate antidiscrimination law. Because of that, it said it could cut federal funding to any state or local education agency with DEI programs. This isn't the first federal funding threat sent out under the Trump administration. On Feb. 14, the education department sent a 'dear colleague' letter to school districts nationwide as notice of its interpretation of illegal discriminatory practices, such as support programs for historically marginalized communities. In a news release, the DPI said it would not complete the Department of Education's requested certification due to the order's lack of clarity, failure to follow procedure around imposing funding conditions and impact on local control. Instead, it submitted certifications that every Wisconsin school district will comply with 'all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements,' such as Title VI, Title IX and FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Title IX protects students from sex discrimination, and FERPA is a student privacy law. Those district certifications are submitted at the beginning of every school year, Underly said, and they show that the state upholds antidiscrimination law. Notably absent from the list was the SFFA v. Harvard affirmative action decision. If the submitted school district certifications don't meet federal funding conditions, Jones, DPI's general counsel, asked the education department to explain the legal basis behind those conditions and why approving 'all applicable' requirements wouldn't meet them. In Green Bay: 'Nonsensical': Green Bay schools cut inclusion in job descriptions under federal funding threat In Appleton: How Fox Valley schools are changing their DEI messaging to avoid losing federal funding The DPI isn't collecting certifications from districts, so schools can't independently certify. For Underly to sign the certification, she said, the Department of Education would need to provide more information on what was being agreed to. There are also constitutional questions because there wasn't notice or a comment period, she said. 'This is just another way for the federal government to bypass Congress and dictate what we're doing in our schools,' Underly said. Wisconsin is one of 15 states that have declined to certify the request as of April 17, according to EdWeek. Thirteen of those states, including Wisconsin, have Democratic governors, while Utah and Vermont are led by Republicans. Sixteen states and Puerto Rico have said they intend to certify the request, and the rest haven't said. Underly said she spoke to about a dozen other state superintendents, who were all in agreement about the threat to local control. Federal dollars are vital for Wisconsin schools, Underly said. If that funding were to go away, the state would have to fill that gap. While she's talked to legislators about what that would look like, those conversations have all been in the broader context of school funding issues. U.S. Education Department dollars account for $568.2 million in education funding, which is equivalent to over 6,100 educator jobs, according to DPI. Overall federal funding counts for $842.9 million. Federal funding supports low-income schools through Title I programs, special education, free and reduced lunch and Head Start, which is already facing a major funding drop. In the Milwaukee area, federal funds account for 2%-20% of total district funding, with Milwaukee Public Schools at 20%. Around Green Bay, federal dollars make up 4-10% of total funding, and in the Fox Valley, those funds make up 3%-11%. Underly said she spoke to several district superintendents, who all agreed with the DPI's decision. 'They also see the perspective that they're in compliance with the law already,' Underly said. 'They want to focus on doing what's best for kids and families.' Contact Green Bay education reporter Nadia Scharf at nscharf@ or on X at @nadiaascharf. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: DPI won't certify Trump administration anti-DEI request. Why?
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DPI reviewing Trump administration request that schools certify compliance with diversity ban
"We remain confident Wisconsin schools and the DPI are in full compliance with the law," DPI Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement. Underly at a rally in February. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is reviewing a request by the Trump administration that state education agencies ensure they aren't using diversity, equity and inclusion programs — or risk losing federal funding. According to WisPolitics, state Superintendent Jill Underly said the agency is looking at the U.S. Department of Education's 'justification and authority to request sign off from Wisconsin schools on the federal agency's political beliefs.' 'Now more than ever, Wisconsin's students, educators and schools need support – not threats of federal funding cuts that are vital to their success,' Underly said in a statement. 'As we stated in February, we remain confident Wisconsin schools and the DPI are in full compliance with the law and remain committed to providing the best education possible for our students.' In a letter, the Department of Education said that state agencies need to certify their compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the responsibilities outlined in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard — the landmark Supreme Court decision that said race-based programs in higher education violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and effectively ended consideration of race in admissions programs. 'Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right,' Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement. 'When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal antidiscrimination requirements. Unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI.' The request comes as a part of President Donald Trump's ongoing attack on DEI efforts across the country. State agencies were given 10 days to collect certification from local education agencies and respond, according to the release. Underly, who was reelected to a second term this week, also urged state lawmakers Wednesday to invest in Wisconsin's public schools amid the threat of funding cuts by the federal government. 'An unprecedented number of our school districts have been forced to turn to referenda, asking their communities to raise property taxes just to compensate for the state's underfunding. On top of that, the Trump administration's reckless cuts threaten the critical federal funding that Wisconsin schools depend on,' Underly said at a public hearing held by the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee in Kaukana. Underly was not invited for an agency briefing before the committee, so she traveled to deliver her message at the public hearing. Her requests for state investment include increasing the state's special education reimbursement for schools, funding universal free school meals and investing in mental health supports for students. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SDMA incumbents reelected to school board as other school elections finish this spring
CHIPPEWA VALLEY — With the election wrapping up on Tuesday night, unofficial results show what school board candidates will be serving their districts starting this school year. In one contested race, the School District of the Menomonie Area saw three incumbents seeking reelection were voted back onto the school board, with Dunn County's unofficial results showing Abe Smith with 5,050 votes, Rachel Henderson with 5,209 votes and Dominique Stewart with 4,623 votes. The results also show the number of votes for the two challengers, with Josie Pillman receiving 3,168 votes and Joyce Uhlir receiving 2,825. 'Today I feel so grateful to the voters of Menomonie, and for all of the support I've received over these last few weeks,' said Henderson on Wednesday. 'A school board that works together to address the challenges facing the district is what's best for kids. I am proud of the work that we've done over the last three years together. Yesterday, I believe voters recognized that our board is well equipped to do the best we can to align our resources to meet the needs of all students. There were a lot of things driving people to the polls this year, and I know that Menomonie was paying attention to our school board race, even as other races took center stage. We had a great show of engagement, and I appreciate the confidence of our community!' Smith said, 'This April school board election was intense, especially with national attention on the simultaneous Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Turnout was about twice as high as my prior election in 2022.' Giving a larger overview of the election as a whole, Smith said that he saw a lot of criticism regarding the large amounts of spending and cynical advertising during the election, with many worried about social division and economic stability. For a few other local elections like in the Osseo-Fairchild School District, Eleva-Strum School District and School District of Altoona, many races were uncontested on the April 1 ballot with incumbents voted to serve another term. This includes the Eau Claire Area School District, where two incumbents, Stephanie Farrar and Board President Tim Nordin, and a newcomer, Jasmine Case, filled the three available seats during this election. 'On behalf of myself, Stephanie, and Jasmine, we are grateful to the ECASD community for their continued support of our schools,' said Nordin. 'We are each excited to keep moving our District forward, ensuring that each student receives the support they need to succeed, and achieving strong results for our kids and the future of Eau Claire. We could not be happier to continue this work for our community.' Throughout the state, voters also had a chance to vote for state superintendent between Jill Underly, who was generally backed by Democrats, and Brittany Kinser, who was generally backed by Republicans. According to an article from the AP about Underly's reelection, Underly won with almost 53% of the vote as 85% were counted statewide. In part of a statement released after unofficial results showed her winning the election, Underly said, 'Tonight, we celebrate a victory not just for our campaign, but for every educator, family — and most importantly, kids — across our great state. I am deeply honored and humbled by the trust you've placed in me to continue serving as your State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Victory belongs to all of us who believe in the power of public education. It's a testament to our shared commitment to ensuring that every child in Wisconsin has access to a high-quality education, regardless of their zip code. Together, we've championed the belief that public dollars should fund public schools, and tonight, that belief has been reaffirmed.' Also after results started coming in Tuesday night, Kinser released a statement saying, 'Over the last few months, I have been honored to campaign across the state on behalf of our kids. While this is not the outcome I had hoped for, I hope that my candidacy has inspired conversations about the importance of restoring high standards and ensuring every child can read, write, and do math well, so they have the opportunity to go to college, secure a meaningful job, or master a trade. We know that our children meet expectations when standards are set high.' When asked to comment about the results of the statewide election for state superintendent, Nordin said they were heartened and glad for Underly's reelection. 'Dr. Underly has been a tireless advocate for public schools, students, and teachers, as well as an outspoken champion for fixing the state's broken formula for funding public schools,' he said. 'She has worked hand-in-hand with the ECASD to support our students' needs and has also worked with ECASD staff to share our stories and experiences at the national level, increasing our connections to best practice for kids across the country. We look forward to four more productive years with her leadership at the DPI.'
