Diverse Thinking Different Learning Ep. 238: Dismantling DEI and the Department of Education: How Changes Impact Your Child with Vickie Brett & Amanda Selogie
We are excited to welcome back guests Vickie Brett and Amanda Selogie of the Inclusive Education Project.
Vickie Brett is a bilingual attorney who advocates for families' legal rights via the Inclusive Education Project, with a focus on empowering monolingual Spanish-speaking families. Dedicated to supporting clients facing challenges in the education system, she actively contributes pro bono work via the Los Angeles Superior Court and UCI Law School's Special Education Law Project.
Amanda Selogie holds a background in Child and Adolescent Development and law, with a strong focus on civil rights and educational advocacy. Through her work with the Inclusive Education Project and various community roles, she promotes inclusive education and empowers children with disabilities and their families.
They join the show for this episode to discuss the current potential threat to educational equity in the United States. Political pressures are mounting to dismantle the Department of Education and roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and Amanda and Vickie reveal what's truly at risk for vulnerable students and their families.
The conversation clarifies how efforts to get rid of the Department of Education gain dangerous momentum via legislation tying special education funding to anti-DEI policies, threatening critical services such as mental health programs, independent educational evaluations, and vocational training, all supports that many schools already struggle to maintain. We even highlight real-world impacts, like a San Diego vocational program losing funding despite the clear needs of its students.
We also expose some common misconceptions behind "education returning to the states," showing how dismantling federal oversight damages protections against discrimination. The episode stresses the fact that federal funds remain a lifeline, especially in states reliant on them, and that cuts will only deepen existing inequities, further widening the gap between students who get support and those who don't.
Our conversation also highlights how these changes create anxiety and confusion for families with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 accommodations, and Vickie and Amanda warn that insufficient resources push children away from education and toward the prison system.
The episode closes with a clear call to action: please make your voice heard to legislators at every level, as this can help impact the future of education. Vickie and Amanda share some practical tools and strategies for advocacy, stressing that the fight to protect equitable education is ongoing and impacts everyone, regardless of whether you live in a blue state or a red state!
Show Notes: [3:33] - Republicans seek to dismantle the Department of Education using bills and budget changes, mostly stalled. [6:55] - Vickie asserts that federal oversight is important because local systems often fail, so families must engage more in IEPs. [9:01] - Criticism of the Department ignores state control and risks losing discrimination protections. [11:51] - Amanda points out that many opponents rely on federal education funds, complicating efforts to cut that funding. [13:57] - Proposed funding changes would allow states to pool IDEA money, risking cuts to mental health and after-school programs. [15:21] - Vickie offers a real-life example of San Diego students facing grants being shifted away from vocational programs. [17:12] - COVID grant freezes worsen teacher shortages while a Supreme Court case threatens public education funding. [20:41] - Vickie laments that the preschool-to-prison pipeline worsens. [23:48] - Amanda assures listeners that everything that the Trump administration has done since January has been to benefit the wealthy. [25:56] - Expelling struggling preschoolers worsens inequity, and dismantling DEI erases protections for neurodiverse children. [28:35] - Head Start funding is sadly insufficient and only partially protected. [31:28] - Learn about an app called 5 Calls, which makes it easier than ever to make phone calls to your representatives. [33:46] - Vickie argues that building parent networks and supporting advocacy groups strengthens efforts against education attacks. [36:25] - Amanda adds that laws require inclusive education and that parents need to advocate locally to protect programs.
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