I taught in Vermont public schools for nearly two decades. I spent years working with teachers across the state as a professional development coordinator. And now I have the honor to work with pre-service and practicing teachers at university for the last three years.

I owe my learning about equity and justice to so many people. Friends, scholars, authors, educators, social justice oriented educators on twitter before it became X, far too many to name here. I’m deeply grateful for this learning, and know it is a forever process of reflection, learning, making mistakes, and trying again. And I know that my whiteness, particularly my white woman kind, wants me to be quiet, protected, “nice”, docile. 

But the kinds of bravery I see around me are inspiring. Folks standing up for national parks, for federal workers, for Ukraine, at Sugarbush this past weekend. I have been searching for my access points, my places and ways to speak out for what I believe in.

And I believe in our students, and with all my heart, their teachers. 

Vermont teachers, especially in the schools I have taught in, and in the schools I have worked with teachers in, have made incredible strides in the areas of equity and inclusion. In the second whitest state in the country, I have been a part of, or seen teachers do work that helps them better understand and interrogate their own privileges and identities, the challenges faced by historically marginalized students and families, and how to develop criticality with their own curriculum, re-designing curriculum to make it more diverse, expansive, engaging, and accurate. 

Teachers have read studies and articles about racism, LGBTQ+, and immigrant students and applied the learning in their contexts, learned new, more inclusive practices, met and reviewed anti-racist scholarly work, developed units of study with rich, diverse, texts from multiple perspectives, and sought to create supportive communities with their students to affirm their dignity and belonging. They have thoughtfully co-written district equity policies with their most vulnerable students and families in mind (and after gathering their feedback). 

This is often on their own time, after teaching students all day. 

And now, those same teachers could be reported to the very “Department of Education” that is supposed to support them. Any of these actions, because they don’t center around a white-washed, inaccurate, Christian narrative of this country, could be reported and a complaint filed by this new, very Professor Umbridge-style form: endDEI.ed.gov. 

Also, this website’s name? You want to end diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools? What exactly do you mean by that? Which part are you against?

Diversity (so you want all of the same kinds of people? I wonder which ones?).

Equity (ALL people having access to education and resources to live? Which people don’t deserve this?)

Inclusion (Including all people with dignity, kindness, and compassion in education and daily life? What students do you think should be left out?)

Ending these efforts sounds horrifically similar to our violent past and will lead to more segregation, institutionalization, and economic inequality. 

This is all taking place in an already hugely challenging field, especially after the pandemic. Teachers worked through the pandemic, many in person with students, while many other workers were able to work from home for 2 years. Now, students are behind academically and socially (because, duh, pandemic) . Student behaviors are at their most challenging. Our teachers are tired, and now, individuals may be reported for reading aloud a book with a gay or Black main character. Or explaining what racism is. Or what the term LGBTQ+ means. Or helping students feel seen and heard, no matter what their identities are. These are protective, supportive moves that help our students see themselves, develop empathy, and learn from other perspectives. The Department of Education, or what is left of it,  is placing a muzzle on teachers, and threatening their very practice. 

Now, teachers have families to feed and bills to pay. Many will not be able to challenge this and will have to change their curricula back to the 1950s, with old textbooks and read-aloud that portray an American that doesn’t exist and never existed, especially in states with laws that limit the discussion of equity related concepts.

We will lose teachers from this field, particularly those with any marginalized identities, at a time when we can’t afford to lose any and their voices are sorely needed. But they won’t be safe. 

And we will raise a generation on half-truths, on stereotypes, on single stories and many students will turn away, give up, be isolated, and many will continue a legacy of harm and hate. 

I can’t abide. Teachers and students mean too much to me. 

Let’s go to our school boards. Let’s write to the Dept. of Ed to stop this madness and clog this form with random claims (and real claims of discrimination— that the students are not learning all of history). Protect our teachers, students, and their families from the harm and fear this will cause and preserve their work toward creating inclusive and supportive learning communities featuring diverse voices so all of our students can be heard, feel dignity, and our support. 

Our nation’s students and teachers deserve so much better than this.