COVID-era School Closures Are Not Solely Responsible for Educational Challenges
As students head back to classrooms across the country this month, they face mounting challenges. However, COVID-era school closures are not solely to blame for the lagging test scores and reading delays that have been widely reported. The National Opportunity Project’s new report reveals that school districts in America, regardless of political affiliation, are now evaluating teachers’ social and political views alongside their instructional qualifications during the hiring process. This means that teachers may have been chosen not for their credentials, but for passing an ideological litmus test.
Over the past year, the National Opportunity Project surveyed more than 70 school districts in America about their hiring protocols and reviewed district hiring documents such as applications, interview questions, and candidate evaluation rubrics. The research findings indicate that public school districts nationwide prioritize adherence to woke ideologies when selecting educators for children.
Some examples of ideological bias in the hiring process include the Denver Public School system requiring elementary art teacher applicants to demonstrate a commitment to racial and educational excellence and dismantling systems of oppression and inequity in the community. Similarly, the City Schools of Decatur in Georgia mandate that hiring teams consist of at least one person of color, one woman or gender-fluid individual, and other diverse individuals to ensure racial and gender equity during the interview process. These characteristics were not traditionally used to determine who should be teaching our kids.
According to the National Opportunity Project, more than one-third of the school districts revealed hiring protocols influenced by ideological bias, while many others have publicly committed to divisive ideologies or DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)-focused mission statements. These controversial policies have long been prevalent in higher education but are now permeating classrooms with students as young as preschool age.
These hiring policies are in place to change the culture of public schools by selecting staff who align with the districts’ political and ideological viewpoints. The DEI statements and commitments to “culturally responsive-sustaining education” guide every aspect of the public school experience, including who stands at the head of the classroom. Consequently, far-left political perspectives dominate many of America’s public school systems, as the application process filters out anyone with differing or independent-minded views.
Furthermore, the National Opportunity Project found that schools prioritizing teachers with specific political and social views often adopt other divisive and sometimes illegal policies. For example, Fairfax County, Virginia, asks applicants about their understanding of equity and how they plan to prioritize it in the classroom, using responses that align strongly with DEI concepts for higher ratings. However, the Fairfax County school district is currently facing a federal lawsuit for implementing race-based admissions in its selective math and science magnet school.
Similarly, Loudoun County, Virginia, inquires about how race and diversity would impact classrooms during the hiring process. The Loudoun County Public Schools have been sued multiple times for racial and viewpoint discrimination and bias against teachers and students. In the neighboring suburb of Evanston, Illinois, the local high school district has committed to “anti-racism” and requires teaching candidates to demonstrate a commitment to social justice, equity, excellence, and high expectations for all students. This commitment even led to the creation of Advanced Placement Calculus classes segregated by race.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been an outspoken critic of DEI in public schools and has initiated legislation to outlaw it.
The Focus Should be on Qualified Teachers, Regardless of Political Views
When it comes to our children’s education, the priority should be to have the best and brightest teachers by their side, rather than individuals who pass a political litmus test. The COVID-era closures have highlighted the significant challenges students face in catching up and preparing for life after graduation. School hiring policies should prioritize placing the most qualified individuals in front of students, regardless of their race, personal political beliefs, or views on contemporary issues. Our students deserve nothing less, and it’s what they demand.
Patrick Hughes is the founder and president of the National Opportunity Project, a nonprofit government watchdog, and education organization.
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