San Diego County school districts have lost nearly $1 million in federal grant funding for teacher training programs due to the programs’ promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
The Tulare County Office of Education received a letter from the Education Department terminating a $10 million Teacher Quality Preparation Program grant, which it administered in collaboration with the San Diego County Office of Education, San Diego State University, and other educational agencies.
The notification letter cited that the grant “provides funding for programs that promote or take part in DEI initiatives” as a reason for termination. The grant was intended to “develop and support a continuum of highly-qualified, diverse teachers and leaders that will serve in high need rural and urban” public schools.
The San Diego County Office of Education was slated to receive $900,000 to distribute among local school districts. San Diego Unified, Cajon Valley Union, and Escondido Union Elementary school districts were each expected to receive $50,000 per year for four years to support their teacher residency programs.
San Diego Unified’s program, designed to bring in more diverse educators to better reflect the student population, will continue through at least next year, but will no longer receive the earmarked funds for professional learning, mentorship, and support.
The Department of Education’s decision is part of a broader move to cut funding for teacher training programs that promote what it considers “divisive ideologies,” including critical race theory, DEI, “anti-racism,” social justice activism, and instruction on white privilege and white supremacy. The department stated that many affected grants included “teacher and staff recruiting strategies implicitly and explicitly based on race.”
