Polarization & Accreditation

Hold my Drink Podcast Blog, Episode 48

As the discussions around Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) curricula continue to polarize our education spaces, some parents have taken their kids out of schools to find places where academics is emphasized over subjective values and racial essentialism (which some have called Critical Race Theory). Parents with the means may opt for private school, believing that they have more control over the curriculum and can set their own learning objectives and standards.

Aaron Sibarium, a journalist for the Washington Free Beacon, pulled the curtain back on this myth. As it turns out, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) that sets the accreditation standards for 1600 private schools, including some of the most prestigious, has baked questionable DEI and antiracism ideologies into its accreditation requirements. As if that weren’t enough cause for concern, many DEI consultants, who are making a lucrative living on their programs, are actually a part of NAIS. This would seem not only a conflict of interest, but also to conflict with putting the needs of our students over profit.

A lot of these programs come into the classroom through Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) pedagogy, which makes the issue more troubling — in essence, the social and emotional well-being of our children doesn’t add up to…