The debate over which diversity, equity and inclusion policies to change, and which to repeal, at Akron Public Schools will extend beyond the federal government’s Feb. 28 deadline for dismantling programs and initiatives.
Earlier this month, U.S. public school systems received a “Dear Colleague” letter from the Department of Education giving them two weeks to eliminate “race-based” practices or risk losing federal funding.
It’s the latest chapter in the rapidly shifting landscape under the new presidential administration.
In Akron, the school district pulled in $85 million last year from the federal government, which mostly supports special education, early childhood education, school nutrition, English as a Second Language, driver’s education and after-school programs.
Members of the Akron Board of Education said their efforts to revise policy during Wednesday’s Equity subcommittee meeting displayed a good-faith effort to the Akron community and federal lawmakers. On Wednesday, members spent upwards of two hours debating wholesale policy changes that would ensure compliance. The Equity Committee will likely be renamed under the proposed changes.
“I want to assure our community that this is not the end, this is not final,” Superintendent Michael Robinson said two days earlier, during Monday’s full board meeting. “… We’re going to continue to work through these challenges and engage in ongoing conversations with our board.”
No substantial decisions came out of the non-voting committee meeting. Any proposed changes must go to the full board for approval.
Board members Rene Molenaur, Bruce Alexander and Gregory Harrison recused themselves and abstained from votes due to undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Addressing DEI line by line
On Wednesday, the members went through the district’s 2017 Equity Policy line by line, making changes that maintain the spirit of the policy while removing any language that references race and may violate the new Department of Education guidance.
The Racial Equity Policy, distinct from the Equity Policy, proved more difficult for the members to parse through. The policy, passed in 2021, will likely be fully repealed, though members said elements of it could be salvaged and included in the revised Equity Policy.
One of the biggest debates was one of the job descriptions proposed by Robinson. The superintendent proposed two coordinator-level positions that would be filled by current DEI staff, including Chief Diversity Officer Carla Chapman.
Molenaur and fellow board member Barbara Sykes said they would not vote to approve the position if Chapman’s did not have the title of “chief.”
