Political Neutrality and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Suburban Schools

• In Event: Racial Equity, Justice, and Democratic Education in the United States

Abstract

Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives were thrust into the spotlight following the racial justice protests of summer 2020, but suburban school districts were already engaged in equity work before this pivotal moment. Analyzing data from interviews and documents from three suburban school districts between 2019-2020, I describe the nature of this equity work. I argue that districts had a pre-existing, three-pronged blueprint for DEI: first, district administrators and teachers saw DEI work as a core element of their professional responsibilities. Second, they were dedicated to ensuring that this DEI could be perceived as politically neutral. As a result, third, all DEI work ended up focusing on creating representational diversity in various areas of school life.

Author

• Emily Handsman, Rutgers University