For years, many of Ohio's 610+ school districts have been prioritizing the well-being AND academic achievement of students by infusing honesty into education and operationalizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, anti-racism and anti-discrimination practices, and cultural proficiency frameworks in their districts.

​These efforts are based on student needs, education standards, school data, comprehensive student and staff surveys, evidence-based pedagogy, and professional behavioral health support.
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Growing Opposition to
​Honesty & DEI in Education

Recently, there has been growing opposition to Honesty in Education and DEI efforts in local districts based on a misunderstanding of the work itself, and a political strategy to misrepresent the work as Critical Race Theory. Some community residents are labeling professional educators as “Marxist” and their schools “indoctrination centers” for simply teaching students inclusive, complete, and accurate accounts of history and modern events, and honoring each child's identity, experience, and culture.
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Some residents are demanding that districts: 
  • ​Halt DEI initiatives and disband DEI committees and task forces
  • STOP promoting "equity" and equitable teaching practices
  • STOP imposing values, morality, and ethics on students
  • STOP anti-racist teachings
  • STOP acknowledging cultures and races
  • Revert back to an approach of "color blindness" to prevent racism and discrimination
  • STOP teaching "Critical Race Theory" -- this higher education legal academic ​framework is not being taught in Ohio school districts​
  • STOP promoting Marxism -- Ohio educators and school districts are not promoting Marxism


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This opposition reflects a lack of understanding or misunderstanding about: 
  • The benefits of an open and honest education vs. the harm of a narrowly-focused, dishonest education 
  • The severity of discrimination, racialized abuse, and trauma inflicted on students and staff in school districts -- and how that trauma impacts student learning and professional performance of staff
  • The definition of “equity”, in terms of education, and its longstanding application across Ohio to ensure every student thrives in their district
  • The myth of “color blindness” to promote harmony, which instead devalues students by denying, ignoring, or dismissing racial and ethnic identities rather than affirming them
  • The actual definition of Critical Race Theory
  • Where Critical Race Theory is actually taught, which is in higher education, not pre K-12​​​​