The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) has come under fire for allegedly promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology in its curriculum, impacting around 70,000 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
According to a report from Open the Books obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, DoDEA schools have been accused of indoctrinating children with a left-leaning perspective that prioritizes complex racial and gender identities over national pride.
In response to criticism, the Pentagon reportedly disbanded its DEI department last year due to controversy surrounding its former chief.
However, rather than eliminating diversity and equity policies from the school system, the department quietly reassigned the staff to other divisions while reaffirming its commitment to DEI efforts.
Open the Books’ report, titled “Schools for Radicals: The Secret Push to Institute Radical DEI Curriculums within the Pentagon’s K-12 Public Schools,” revealed that the Pentagon initially informed Congress of plans to dismantle its DEI division but instead created a DEI Steering Committee in secret and moved DEI professionals into less public roles within the agency.
The report also highlighted DoDEA’s alleged attempts to circumvent Freedom of Information Act requests by heavily redacting requested information and delaying appeals for months or even longer.
Furthermore, DoDEA was said to be advocating for free resources that promote radical ideologies in classrooms and using changing academic standards as a means to introduce more DEI topics into everyday classroom discussions.
The report mentioned that both students and staff were subjected to what it called “struggle sessions” related to DEI issues.
Adam Andrzejewski, CEO of Open the Books, criticized this approach by stating that while military service members are deployed abroad to uphold American ideals on the world stage, their children are being taught a philosophy that prioritizes complex racial and gender identities over national pride.
He expressed concern that pushing students towards activism and teaching them that their relative privilege dictates their life experience could alienate them from the American dream.
The report also raised concerns about classroom materials being sourced from far-left-leaning organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Andrzejewski emphasized the need for transparency regarding these materials since much of it comes from private vendors not subject to Freedom of Information Act requirements.
Despite these allegations and criticisms, the Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
In conclusion, Open the Books’ report sheds light on accusations against DoDEA regarding its promotion of DEI ideology in classrooms despite public controversy over such practices.
The report underscores concerns about transparency and accountability within DoDEA’s curriculum development process and calls attention to potential repercussions on students’ perspectives regarding national identity and privilege.