California’s most mundane school planning processes are vulnerable to DEI backlash

In California, a seismic shift endangers the educational landscape as we know it.

While overshadowed by national elections, campaigns for school boards and other local positions are in full swing. And school districts are undertaking the task of updating their Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP. Mandated by the state, it is a strategic plan created with parents, educators and the community at large.

In short, the LCAP serves as a guide, articulating the district’s goals, actions and services to ensure every student has equitable access to a rigorous education. However, for such a vital process, public awareness remains low.

Data-informed and with a focus on transparency and inclusivity, the LCAP template mandates that spending decisions are aligned with district priorities. Districts with special educational considerations, for example, such as significant English learner populations, will consult with expert advisory committees. School boards are then obligated to conduct public hearings.

For parents unable to participate at a district level, school site council discussions become paramount. Insisting on widely accessible materials and early outreach, parents can ensure that the LCAP becomes a powerful instrument for the equitable and effective allocation of resources.

Against this backdrop, vitriol toward diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has intensified, threatening to weave its threads through the fabric of our education system. The LCAP, with its emphasis on monitoring the success of under-resourced students, becomes a focal point for political aggression, transforming every LCAP season into much more than a bureaucratic process.

It is a battleground for the values that shape our children’s experiences and future.

But the local struggle simply mirrors a far broader conversation. White people have stopped playing nice when it comes to DEI, and it should come as no surprise – it was a straw house to begin with. The most poignant thing to remember about the backlash against DEI initiatives is that it does not reflect widespread societal sentiment, but rather a reactionary response from a small, vocal minority.

Unfortunately, these factions are often well-funded, amplified and given bully pulpits by right-wing news outlets and social media. But they amount to little more than the Big Bad Wolf attempting to topple advancements toward justice.

Consider the alarming book bans in Florida, Texas and other states. The Washington Post uncovered that a mere 11 people orchestrated 60% of book ban requests. School board battles across the nation are similarly influenced by a select group of conservatives who are using their positions to advance a white supremacist agenda through public engagement. Even in higher education, we saw one person’s superiority complex drive the removal of Claudine Gay from her post as Harvard president. 

The backlash against DEI is the hijacking of otherwise applicable language for unintended purposes. We’ve seen this with terms like “woke” or “critical race theory.” By distorting the definitions of these terms to insinuate an affront to white people, they rally people against what would be positive tools for progress.

Any critical conversation quickly debunks such methods, but the mob mentality they mean to incite is not known for thoughtful debate. These are tactics designed to appeal to fear rather than reason.

Having served four years on a site council, and as a mayoral appointee to my hometown’s racial equity commission, I am deeply invested in the educational experience. As a Black woman and parent, the LCAP review season and the fight against efforts to undermine DEI initiatives hold a deeper resonance.

The veneer of “nice” must be stripped away to confront the root causes of injustice. In the face of anti-DEI sentiment, our resolve must echo Maya Angelou’s wisdom: “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” No matter how loud the opposition, the cause can only be defeated if those who stand up for justice falter.