On Jan. 29, President Trump signed an executive order entitled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” which restricts discussions on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues in public schools. Instead, schools are directed to focus on “patriotic education,” which should be grounded in “an accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of America’s founding and foundational principles.” This order is inherently hypocritical, as an accurate and honest account of American history will not necessarily be ennobling. In short, learning about history does not, and should not, always make students feel good.
This order blames schools for indoctrinating children and preventing them from using critical thinking skills. It also bans the teaching of victim and oppressor identities based on skin color and other characteristics, specifying that schools may not teach students to feel responsible for actions committed in the past by members of their identity group. Furthermore, it points out that recipients of federal funds providing K-12 education must comply with Title VI, Title IX, FERPA and PPRA, laws prohibiting discrimination and protecting parental rights.
Trump’s order goes on to name white privilege and unconscious bias as concepts that promote racial discrimination and violate anti-discrimination civil rights law. These concepts fall under the category of “discriminatory equity ideology,” a term used in this executive order to describe the practice of being aware of systems of oppression and the effects of privilege on oneself and others.
The Trump Administration is attempting to use laws meant to protect marginalized groups to legitimate their claims of “reverse racism,” or discrimination against white people. It is clear that they want to prevent and reduce prejudice against white people, which is not the same as racism, as racism involves the unequal distribution of power based on race. The same concept applies to oppression on the basis of gender, sexuality and more.
By issuing guidelines for conversations around discrimination, Trump is attempting to erase discussions of difference, privilege and power because it benefits the perpetuation of oppressive systems, while also appealing to his base. Certain language in this executive order is designed to cater to parental rights activists, a socially conservative movement aimed at giving parents more oversight in schools, particularly regarding reading material, transgender students and discussion of race, sexuality, and gender identity.
In terms of action items, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” directs various officials to provide an Ending Indoctrination Strategy to the president so he can terminate federal funding to schools that engage in “discriminatory treatment and indoctrination,” including “discriminatory equity ideology.” Typically, 13.7% of public school funding comes from the federal government.
Furthermore, the order instructs the attorney general to coordinate with state attorneys general and local district attorneys to file appropriate actions against teachers and school officials. Grounds for legal action include sexually exploiting minors, offering diagnoses or treatments without a license, and facilitating the social transition of a minor student. It is important to note that sexual harassment is already banned under Title IX, although the enforcement of this policy may be at risk if Trump dismantles the Department of Education. Below is a list of everyday actions that could put a teacher or administrator at risk:
- Engaging in a counseling session with a student regarding social gender transition
- Using a student’s chosen name or pronouns
- Calling a child “nonbinary”
- Allowing transgender students to use the facilities and play on the sports teams of their chosen gender
This policy is reminiscent of the Texas abortion ban that operates by targeting service providers with criminal and civil charges to scare them into withholding care. Regardless of how well the executive order is enforced, it may have a chilling effect on the way teachers and administrators interact with their students. However, it depends heavily upon the obedience of state attorneys general, who enforce laws that are on the books. Executive orders do not fall under this category.
“Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” is a dangerously hypocritical executive order that pushes a false narrative about power and privilege. It seeks to intimidate school officials away from caring for the students at the highest risk of bullying and other forms of violence while preventing students from learning about why they have different experiences from their peers. However, state attorneys general are not yet obligated to enforce this order; multiple existing laws preclude the federal government from influencing state and local decisions about teaching and learning, and trans rights are civil rights, no matter what one executive order says.
As the history of American education has shown, reform efforts such as “Ending Radical Indoctrination” are likely to be unsuccessful unless they align with the undercurrent of change, which is determined by the people.