Schools spent over $123 million on DEI contracts: report

School districts across the country have paid over $123 million in taxpayer-funded contracts to consultants that integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into the services offered to schools and educators, according to a new report by Defending Education.

The report, which the national grassroots organization released on Monday, states that 41 consultant groups reportedly raked in millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded contracts from 303 school districts and public education entities.

The $123 million collected by the groups came from schools in 40 different states; however, Defending Education notes that not all purchases were specifically for DEI. 

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“Tinkering in the minds of other people’s children is big business and countless K-12 schools across the country are active participants. They pay big bucks to enter into contracts with ideologues and activists who, in turn, gain access, directly or indirectly, to a captive audience of young minds,” Erika Sanzi, Defending Education’s director of outreach, said in a statement provided to The Christian Post.

“It’s a total racket that makes schools worse,” Sanzi added. 

The numbers cited in the report come from consultants that Defending Education has investigated since 2021. According to the advocacy group, it received these records by filing over 300 public records requests to school districts. The national grassroots organization warned in its report that the numbers presented are not “exhaustive,” however. 

“There are thousands of school districts throughout the country that have hired hundreds of DEI consultants not listed in this report,” Defending Education’s report states. “This report should be taken as a small sample of how school districts spend taxpayer dollars.” 

According to the advocacy group, it did not consider records that were “vague or unclear that would boost the total amount higher.” Defending Education also states that the information in its report comes from various documents maintained by school districts, such as financial records and contracts. 

In the report, Defending Education provides a list of the top 10 consultants identified by the advocacy group, such as Amplify, which received over $70.5 million. Amplify is a company founded in 2000 that provides professional development and curricula to school districts, according to the report.

A statement that has since been removed from Amplify’s website said that its goal was to “make education, and thereby the world, more equitable and accessible” and to “help teachers support their students in constructing, questioning, expanding, and strengthening knowledge of where they come from and who they are becoming.”

The Christian Post reached out to the consulting companies on the top 10 list in Defending Education’s report but only received responses from Panorama and Casel. 

“Panorama Education is an education technology company that helps students achieve success in school and beyond, and gives schools and school districts a platform to hear what families, students, and teachers need in the classroom,” a spokesperson for the company said.

“Panorama does not promote any specific education philosophy, curriculum, or DEI framework. Schools or districts use Panorama Education’s tech platform to clearly see the needs at a local level and then implement the interventions, tools, or systems to address those needs,” the spokesperson added. “The school or district decides what works best for their students, including what curriculum, or programming is needed to support areas of improvement.”

A spokesperson for CASEL commented, “CASEL is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and a trusted field leader in social and emotional learning. Our mission is to help make evidence-based social and emotional learning an integral part of education — from preschool through high school — to enhance academic achievement, student well-being, and lifelong success.”

“Our partnerships with school districts were guided by local decision-makers, responsive to community needs, and aligned with state academic standards as well as federal and state civil rights laws,” the statement continued. “CASEL’s work is grounded in supporting educators to create safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments where all students can develop the skills they need to thrive in school and in life.”

Another company Defending Education’s report highlights is Ajusted Equity Solutions, which earned over $1 million. Ajusted Equity Solutions is reportedly part of the Culturally Responsive School Leadership Institute created by political activist Muhammad Khalifa.

The Culturally Responsive School Leadership Institute claims on its website that its goals are to help schools challenge “Whiteness and hegemonic epistemologies in school,” use “equity audits to measure student inclusiveness, policy, and practice,” and serve as “advocate and social activist for community-based causes in both the school and neighborhood community.”

The institute did not immediately respond to The Christian Post’s request for comment.

Other companies included in the top 10 list, such as the NYU Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools, advertise that they consult school districts and education departments on “racial justice in education.” The group’s site says that it offers training for public school parents and parent groups, “especially for white parents committed to becoming antiracist.”

On its website, under the “Anti-racist Initiative” heading, the consulting company also states that “white people have internalized messages, attitudes, and beliefs about white supremacy, regardless of their intentions or awareness, and often act to perpetuate racial hierarchies in our schools and communities.”