1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

Dear Senators- Here is how all districts should respond to the Secretary of Education: If we acknowledge racial disparities, that’s racism. If we help English learners catch up, that’s favoritism. If we give a disabled child a reading aide, we’re denying someone else the chance to struggle equally. And if we train teachers to understand bias, we’re indoctrinating them — but if we train them to ignore it, we’re “restoring neutrality”? How convenient that your sudden concern for “equal treatment” seems to apply only when it’s used to silence conversations about race, identity, or inequality. Let’s talk about our English learners. Would you like us to stop offering translation services during parent-teacher conferences? Should we cancel bilingual support staff to avoid the appearance of “special treatment”? Or would you prefer we just teach all content in English and hope for the best, since acknowledging linguistic barriers now counts as discrimination? And while we’re at it — what’s your official stance on IEPs? Because last I checked, individualized education plans intentionally give students with disabilities extra support. Should we start removing accommodations to avoid offending the able-bodied majority? Maybe cancel occupational therapy altogether so no one feels left out? If a student with a learning disability receives extended time on a test, should we now give everyone extended time, even if they don’t need it? Just to keep the playing field sufficiently flat and unthinking? Your letter paints equity as a threat. But equity is not the threat. It’s the antidote to decades of failure. Equity is what ensures all students have a fair shot. Equity is what makes it possible for a child with a speech impediment to present at the science fair. It’s what helps the nonverbal kindergartner use an AAC device. It’s what gets the newcomer from Ukraine the ESL support she needs without being left behind. And let’s not skip past the most insulting part of your directive — the ten-day deadline. A national directive sent to thousands of districts with the subtlety of a ransom note, demanding signatures within a week and a half or else you’ll cut funding that supports... wait for it... low-income students, disabled students, and English learners. Brilliant. Just brilliant. A moral victory for bullies and bureaucrats everywhere. So no, we will not be signing your “certification.” We are not interested in joining your theater of compliance. We are not interested in gutting equity programs that serve actual children in exchange for your political approval. We are not interested in abandoning our legal, ethical, and educational responsibilities to satisfy your fear of facts. We are interested in teaching the truth. We are interested in honoring our students’ identities. We are interested in building a school system where no child is invisible, and no teacher is punished for caring too much. Still Teaching. Still Caring. Still Not Signing.