CUSD has been developing a "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion" (DEI) Strategic Plan for the past two years and is planning to vote on the final version of the plan at the Board Meeting on June 21, 2023. The Board approved a Draft DEI Plan in February 2023 after three separate meetings, and based on our review of the Plan and the evidence, we do not support the approval of the DEI Plan in CUSD. Here's why:
Ineffective: DEI Plans have been shown to be ineffective and counterproductive. They often end up lowering academic standards, teaching divisive concepts and threatening student safety.
Wasteful: DEI Plans are wasteful and take money from evidence-based programs which work, such as providing additional teachers and tutors to help struggling students. CUSD plans to spend $459,000 on DEI in the first year alone.
Not Transparent: The DEI Plan was developed in secret and without the Board. The Board rejected the first DEI Plan in December 2022, asked for a "clean slate" to develop its own plan and scheduled a special Board Workshop to develop that plan. Instead, the Superintendent copied the core elements of the DEI Plan from the Poway Unified School District, deleted the controversial references to Critical Race Theory and brought it to the Board Workshop for the Board to approve instead of allowing them to develop their own plan. In March, the Superintendent quietly changed the Board-approved draft DEI Plan to the "DEIB" Plan by adding a new element - "belonging" - without telling the Board or the public.
Lack Viewpoint Diversity: DEI Plans don't promote actual diversity and are hostile to those with diverse religious and political views, or even those who question the evidence of the effectiveness of these programs.
We urge you to email the Board of Trustees at boardoftrustees@carlsbadusd.net and urge them to vote "No" on the DEI Plan at the June meeting.
