Title IX, student loan forgiveness and federal oversight over institutions are in the crosshairs of two Republican-led initiatives with the power to overhaul public higher education.
School choice advocates are intent on expanding the availability of vouchers to fund private education at the expense of public schools, but rural residents of these targeted states are putting up some of the strongest resistance.
CTO at Fresno Unified School District (Calif.), Tami Lundberg brings 30+ years of experience in private practice. She has been a vocal advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion for the district's IT department.
Chief information technology officer at Chicago Public Schools (Ill.), Fleming brings 30 years of private sector experience to his role. He is an advocate for better diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the technology space.
Damien Sweeney, the director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the Kentucky Department of Education, has a passion for change agency and social justice.
Over the past several years, many states have introduced a whirlwind of "restrictive" legislation targeting issues surrounding race, sex and gender in both K12 and higher education. The former, however, bears more of the brunt.
SB129 comes amid a nationwide push from conservative lawmakers to limit the rights of transgender and LGBTQ individuals and ban DEI programs after the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action.
"Students do not feel comfortable asking honest questions and teachers do not feel comfortable about giving honest answers," one teacher told researchers examining curriculum restrictions.
Criticisms of DEI programming as antisemitic are mounting in the months after Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel. Many parents believe Jewish students aren't safe amid rising antisemitic harassment in the schools, and others claim DEI programs foster anti-Israel extremism.
Will the U.S. Department of Education be dismantled? Or does Trump's proposal ring hollow? Tune into this story as we provide updates in the months leading up to his first day in office.
