In the past week or so, a few of you have asked about my thoughts on the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which I believe presents a dangerous vision for the future of American education. Among its most contentious proposals is the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education and the defunding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. While the project advocates for a return to state and local control over education, it raises significant concerns about the future of equity and excellence in our schools.
What is Project 2025?
Project 2025 aims to decentralize federal power, advocating for state and local autonomy in various sectors, including education. It suggests dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, arguing that local control is more effective and responsive to community needs. Additionally, the project proposes defunding and eliminating DEI initiatives, which it views as divisive and counterproductive.
However, over the last sixty years or so, we have come to understand that equity is essential for achieving true excellence in education. As former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted, “Equity is not an option; it is a necessity. We cannot achieve excellence without equity.” Equity ensures that every student has access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed, recognizing the diverse needs of a pluralistic society.
Excellence in education, thus, extends beyond academic achievements; it encompasses the creation of environments where all students can thrive. This vision of excellence is built on the foundation of equity, where systems are designed to meet the unique needs of every individual so that every individual has the opportunity to succeed.
How Does It Threaten Equity and Excellence in Education?
Eliminating the U.S. Department of Education would significantly threaten our progress in advancing equity. Federal oversight is crucial in addressing disparities and ensuring all students receive a high-quality education. Without this oversight, states with fewer resources and less commitment to equity could fall further behind, exacerbating existing inequities while creating new ones.
In this way, the plans to defund and eliminate DEI initiatives become another alarming aspect of Project 2025. There is clear evidence that DEI programs play a vital role in creating welcoming and affirming environments for all students. These initiatives help educators understand and address the diverse needs of their students, fostering a humanizing culture of respect and belonging. According to a 2020 report by the National Education Association, DEI initiatives were found to be “critical for preparing educators to work effectively with diverse student populations” (NEA, 2020).
It should be noted that education in the U.S. is becoming more and not less diverse. In fact, the majority of students in U.S. public schools today are non-white. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of 2020, 54 percent of public school students were of color (NCES, 2021). This demographic shift is projected to continue, with non-white students expected to make up an even larger percentage of the student population in the coming decades. By 2060, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that the nation will be majority-minority, with non-Hispanic whites making up only 44 percent of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018).
Economic inequity is another critical issue at the core of conversations on equity. As of 2019, more than half of all public school students in the U.S. were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a common indicator of economic disadvantage (NCES, 2020). Addressing the needs of economically less advantaged students is essential for creating equitable education systems that serve all students. However, Project 2025 puts these efforts at risk by proposing to eliminate the federal oversight and funding that support programs designed to assist low-income students. Without these crucial supports, the gap between affluent and economically less advantaged students will likely widen, further entrenching the systemic inequities that undermine educational excellence and overall social progress.
Additionally, Project 2025’s policies make LGBTQIA+ (Q+) students more vulnerable. These students are at the highest risk for adverse outcomes, including suicide, school pushouts, and social isolation. According to the Trevor Project, Q+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers (The Trevor Project, 2021). This population has grown significantly, with more young people openly identifying as Q+ than ever before. The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that in 2019, 16 percent of high school students identified as Q+, up from 11 percent in 2015 (CDC, 2020). Defunding DEI initiatives and removing protections for Q+ students would only exacerbate these risks, making our schools less safe and less supportive of our most vulnerable students.
The Impact of Progressive Education
We have clear evidence that our focus on progressive education, which is the antithesis of Project 2025, has produced meaningful and impactful outcomes. Progressive education initiatives such as federally regulated public education and DEI have helped us to make significant strides in supporting vulnerable groups. For example, the national focus on equity has increased women's representation in STEM fields. In 1970, only 8 percent of STEM degrees were awarded to women; by 2019, that number had almost tripled to 27 percent (National Science Foundation, 2020). While there is still significant work to do, this progress is a direct result of efforts to create opportunities and support systems for women in STEM.
Similarly, Black student college enrollment increased dramatically due to progressive education initiatives. In 1976, only 6 percent of Black Americans aged 18-24 were enrolled in college. By 2020, that number rose to 36 percent (NCES, 2021). This increase is due in large part to progressive education policies such as affirmative action, DEI, and federal intervention that have sought to close gaps and create opportunities for racially vulnerable students.
As such, poverty rates among Black Americans have seen significant changes. In 1975, the poverty rate for Black Americans was 31.3 percent. By 2019, it had decreased to 18.8 percent (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). While gaps remain, the progress made over the past 50 years demonstrates the impact of policies aimed at making the American Dream more accessible to more Americans.
Of course, the dangers of Project 2025 extend beyond DEI initiatives. The elimination of federal oversight, for example, could lead to a lack of uniform standards across states, resulting in disparities in educational quality. States with fewer resources might struggle to provide adequate funding for schools, leading to larger class sizes, outdated materials, and reduced access to advanced coursework.
Further, the Project’s emphasis on school choice and voucher programs could exacerbate segregation and inequality. According to a 2018 report by the Economic Policy Institute, voucher programs often benefit higher-income families, leaving behind those who need support most (EPI, 2018). This could lead to a two-tiered education system, where only the wealthiest students have access to high-quality education.
Moving Forward
As we face the challenges posed by Project 2025, it is crucial to remember the progress we have made and the work that still needs to be done. Equity is not just a goal but the foundation upon which true educational excellence is built. We must remember this as we resist efforts to undermine the progress made and continue to fight for a future where every student has the opportunity to succeed.
While some will argue that equity is pursued merely for its own sake—a perspective I don't necessarily oppose—the centrality of equity in education and other fields stems from a deeper rationale: The pursuit of equity is fundamental to true excellence because true excellence is unattainable without it. Historically, education has been marred by inequities, and as long as these disparities exist, our collective humanity remains fractured, and the democratic ideals we strive for remain compromised. This is the opposite of excellence. Moreover, we cannot achieve our educational goals without addressing equity issues, and Project 2025 poses a significant threat to this essential pursuit.
Our commitment to equity and excellence in education requires vigilance and courage. We must be unwavering in our pursuit of education systems that serve all students, regardless of their background or, better still, because of them. The future of education and the future of our children depend on it.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/2019/2019_YRBS-National-HS.pdf
Economic Policy Institute. (2018). School vouchers and their impact on equality. Retrieved from https://www.epi.org/publication/school-vouchers-and-their-impact-on-equality/
National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups 2020. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020103.pdf
National Center for Education Statistics. (2021). Digest of Education Statistics, 2020. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d20/
National Education Association. (2020). The Importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education. Retrieved from https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/importance-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-education
National Science Foundation. (2020). Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering. Retrieved from https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21321/data
The Trevor Project. (2021). National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021. Retrieved from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2021/
U.S. Census Bureau. (2018). Projections of the Size and Composition of the U.S. Population: 2014 to 2060. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2015/demo/p25-1143.html
U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-270.html
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Suggested citation: Kirkland, D.E. (2024). Project 2025 and its implication for education equity. In forwardED Perspectives, https://www.forward-ed.com/post/project-2025-and-its-implications-for-education-equity.
David E. Kirkland, PhD, is the founder and CEO of forwardED. He is a nationally renowned scholar of education equity. He can be reached via email at: david@forward-ed.com.
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