Rhode Island Lawmakers Consider Law to Advance DEI Ideology In Public Schools

Rhode Island Lawmakers Consider Law to Advance DEI Ideology In Public Schools

Rhode Island lawmakers are about to consider legislation to push DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) ideology into the state’s public schools.

On Wednesday, March 13th, the House Education Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on H7722, a bill to promote “the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion principles into school curriculum and also in hiring practices for education staff.”

The proposed law provides for the development by the state department of education of:

curricular programs and materials on how schools can best incorporate and integrate instruction on and principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”), into a school’s curriculum. In formulating these DEI programs and materials, the department shall consult with practicing teachers, principals, superintendents and experts knowledgeable in diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

But there’s a silver lining: If you read to the end of that paragraph, the bill’s language is permissive:

Local school committees may incorporate the materials into their elementary and secondary school curriculum. [emphasis added]

That means local school committees have discretion as to whether or not to incorporate the state’s DEI materials into their curricula. The question is, will they exercise it?

Parent advocate Nicole Solas isn’t holding her breath. She predicts RIDE (Rhode Island Department of Education) will produce DEI curriculum under this bill and then shop it around to school districts as something they have to buy:

That’s what RIDE is doing right now with their Guidance on Transgender policies. RIDE is sending messages to school districts saying they have to review their policies for “compliance.” But there is no binding law, regulation, or rule requiring school districts “comply” with guidance.

In fact, readers may remember a very similar situation unfolded in New Jersey, as we reported here. Several school districts subsequently rescinded transgender policies that, on closer examination, were not mandatory in the first place.

Meanwhile, though, veteran Rhode Island schoolteacher and Critical Race Theory whistleblower Ramona Bessinger says parents should be alarmed at the proposed bill that only recently came to light. Bessinger knows firsthand how divisive a racialized curriculum can be. She faced retaliation, harrassment, and ultimately was placed on administrative leave for speaking out against it.

And now, she warns, legislators are doubling down trying to mandate DEI activism and divisive political ideology in K-12 schools, turning Rhode Island into a K-12 police state and its teachers into informants:

🧵"Providing teachers with the ability to inform policymakers about implementation, concerns, and or practical issues…" This means teachers will be informers for the state? pic.twitter.com/yG1Mhqln8B

— Ramona Bessinger🇺🇸 (@RamonaBessinger) March 11, 2024

Child advocate Bob Chiaradio sees “massive government overreach at the expense of the citizens of Rhode Island. At a time when many colleges, universities, and corporations are ridding themselves of DEI initiatives, this goes against the trend of the failure of these programs.”

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