I recently reported on many of the dreadful happenings in the education realm as we kick off the new year, but there have also been some promising turns.
DEI
Following Florida’s lead earlier in 2024, other states, including Georgia, Alabama, Utah, and Iowa, have passed anti-DEI measures.
Then, in December, the Idaho State Board of Education approved a ban on DEI ideology in higher education as part of its commitment to “the success of every student.” Their resolution states, “Institutions shall not establish or maintain a central office, policy, procedure, or initiative that promotes DEI ideology,” which they define as “any approach that prioritizes ‘personal identity characteristics’ (race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or gender identity) over individual merit.”
School choice and possible political consequences
Ed Tarnowski, policy and advocacy director at EdChoice, affirms that in 2024, five states created new school choice programs and six expanded existing ones. Alabama and Louisiana now have universal programs, while Georgia’s Educational Savings Account law provides limited eligibility.
In Utah, the state doubled its program’s funding, doubling the number of students eligible for their choice program.
North Carolina’s legislature acted by overriding the governor’s veto on legislation to expand its school choice program.
Additionally, New Hampshire is in a position to achieve true universal choice this year, especially because every student is already guaranteed funding. As Tarnowski explains, the state legislature would not have to pass new appropriations laws or alter funding caps.
Furthermore, Tarnowski expects school choice measures in Tennessee, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Carolina during 2025.
This year also holds promise for new programs in Texas, where school-choice advocates won seats in the legislature this past November.
As school choice advances, Jorge Elorza, CEO of Democrats for Education Reform and former mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, declares that voters no longer trust Democrats to deliver on educational needs. He writes that American schools are failing too many children, “particularly those from the very communities Democrats claim to champion. Literacy and math proficiency rates are abysmal, and too many students graduate unprepared for college or careers. And yet, too many Democrats have positioned themselves as defenders of the status quo. This is both morally indefensible and a core reason why we have lost touch with our base.”
Colleges
On the national level, incoming Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has some plans to do something about our broken college system, with its outrageously expensive, ineffective, and typically agenda-driven curriculum. Insane tuition rates have saddled students with a collective $1.8 trillion in debt. At the same time, many graduates lack even the basic skills necessary to succeed in the workforce.
To continue reading, go to https://www.forkidsandcountry.org/blog/the-sandstorm-new-years-cheers
