Race/Ethnicity

In the United States, efforts to incorporate critical thinking or even discussion about race and ethnicity in schools has caused a lot of tension. For instance, in Carmel, Indiana, which is not far from IUPUI, the school board instituted some equity & inclusion initiatives in the school district which caused outrage among some parents who believed the efforts were “teaching children to hate the United States”.

Gender

In the United States, one of the key policies that affects all schools and universities across the country is Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school that receives funding from the federal government. One of the key effects of Title IX is around gender parity in sports team participation, where female athletes were required to be given equal opportunity to participate. 

In October 2021, The White House under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris released a National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. They identified 10 connected priorities in the strategy, including economic security, gender-based violence, health, and education. From the strategy, “Dismantle the barriers to equal opportunity in education that undermine the ability to compete on a level playing field, recognizing that education affects future economy security”.

LGBTQ

Similar to issues around race/ethnicity, LGBTQ concerns remain a very controversial topic in the United States schools. As of this writing (April 2022), the state of Florida has passed the Parental Rights in Education law, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This bill prohibits discussion of sexuality or gender identity in the classroom for children in Kindergarten through Grade 3. While not specifically identifying LGBTQ identities in the bill, it essentially prohibits teachers from any discussion about any sexuality or any identity. There are also several states that prohibit schools from mandating that students participate in any gender or sexuality diversity training.

Under former the United States President Barack Obama, the United States Department of Education issued guidance that Title IX also provided protection for transgender students, and that they should be treated in a consistent manner with their chosen gender identity. However, when former President Donald Trump took office in 2017, this guidance was withdrawn.