Illinois schools continuing DEI initiatives despite federal funding threats
02/26/25
Illinois Superintendent Tony Sanders participates in a previous Illinois State Board of Education meeting
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education is not telling schools to stop any diversity, equity and inclusion lessons or programs, the state’s education chief told a House committee this week, even as the Trump administration threatens to pull federal funding from schools that don’t stop.
State Superintendent Tony Sanders informed the panel that ISBE received a “dear colleague”
letter from the U.S. Department of Education earlier this month informing schools that “under any banner, discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will continue to be illegal.” It said compliance with federal discrimination laws will be reviewed by the department by the end of February as a condition of federal funding
The letter has no legal force, Sanders said Tuesday, “and so I would encourage districts to continue … teaching the way they’ve always taught.”
Sanders acknowledged that roughly 10% of funding for Illinois school districts could be at risk if the federal government ceases funding. ISBE receives billions annually from the federal government.
“We don’t have a way to make up for that loss of funds,” he said.
Prompted by lawmakers to explain what equity means in Illinois schools, Sanders said it means making sure all students have the resources they personally need for their individual success. ISBE’s lineup of initiatives designed to uplift a greater variety of students and educators include special education programs, efforts to recruit more minority teachers and mechanisms to improve grades for students of color.
The data shows incorporating DEI is necessary, he said, pointing to the
2024 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card.
The results showed significant achievement gaps among different subgroups of students in Illinois. In fourth grade math, for example, there was a 32-point gap between the average score for white and Black students. Eighth grade math assessments had a similar 32-point gap.
Even so, the committee’s ranking Republican debated the importance of initiatives designed to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Maybe we should start focusing on excellence a little bit more,” Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, said. “We have a great equity center and focus right now and I think it’s led to some of these dismal results. I think if we focus more on the specifics of reading and writing and math, it would stand to reason that those scores could come up.”
Sanders responded by saying incorporating DEI isn’t changing classroom curriculum.
“What you see in the curriculum are high levels of quality instruction across the state,” Sanders said. “Again, there’s always room for improvement but all I see is teachers trying to meet the needs of their students.”