Education department DEI compliance website is live

Action on non-compliance awaits court decisions

PHOENIX – A page on the Arizona Department of Education (AZED) website has been established to list the districts and charter operators that have or have not certified compliance with new federal guidance regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs.

The site is informational pending the outcome of several court challenges to the guidance. The U.S. Department of Education has informed state education agencies including AZED that “the Department will take no further action concerning the Title VI Certification Letter (DEI) unless and until further notice is provided.”

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said, “I am committed to following the law and will abide by the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of Education to take no action against schools until further notice. I also made a commitment to transparency by listing the districts and charters that have responded to the earlier DEI guidance. Federal law and the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution are clear that no person shall be discriminated because of race, skin color or ethnicity, and this guidance aligns completely with my philosophy. By contrast, the use of DEI programs does just the opposite and promotes racial discrimination. I believe the DEI guidance will eventually be upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court and districts and charter schools need to treat this issue seriously.”

The webpage is here: azed.gov/grants-management/federal-dei-certification