Colorado's K-12 education department won't comply with Trump's DEI order

[Nittersing]

https://www.denverpost.com/2025/04/10/colorado-trump-dei-order-state-education-board/

"Colorado will not comply with a federal order to certify that the state’s K-12 school districts are following civil rights law and eliminating what the Trump administration says are illegal diversity, equity and inclusion practices, Education Commissioner Susana Córdova said Thursday.

The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to state education departments on April 3 threatening to pull federal funding from public schools over such programs. States were given 10 days to sign and return the notice, but multiple states, including New York and Minnesota, have said they won’t comply with the order.

Córdova said during a meeting of the Colorado State Board of Education on Thursday that she won’t sign the certification letter and will not ask districts to do so. Colorado schools already comply with federal anti-discrimination laws, she said.

“Frankly, I would be uncomfortable signing a certification that binds us to federal guidance that doesn’t have the force of law,” Córdova said. “I would be uncomfortable signing a certification that lacks definitions and clarity around what is or is not prohibited. I think that’s particularly true given that the certifications come with the potential consequence of loss of federal funds.”

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