NE Wyoming News

Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, along with the Anti-Woke Caucus, has sent a letter to Acting Secretary of Education Denise Carter. The letter highlights concerns over federal education programs they consider wasteful and divisive. According to the caucus, these programs have misallocated over $1 billion towards initiatives such as DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), Critical Race Theory, and other race-based educational schemes.

The caucus points out specific instances where millions were spent on racially exclusive teacher recruitment programs and "equity-centered" curriculum development. These are seen as prioritizing ideology over academic excellence. Additionally, funds were allocated to exclusionary professional development training and "social-emotional" learning instead of focusing on hard skills.

Rep. Hageman stated, "My colleagues and I urge Acting Secretary Carter to take immediate action in examining these harmful DEI programs and redirecting federal education funding toward policies that benefit all students." She also praised former President Trump for his efforts to halt what she described as reckless DEI programs in federal agencies.

Nicki Neily from Parents Defending Education Action expressed concern about the focus on race-centered programming encouraged by the Biden Administration. She noted that this approach has led to fiscal mismanagement reflected in recent NAEP scores: “America betrayed a generation of children who can barely read and write because activists and bureaucrats chose to fund DEI over ABCs."

Other members of the Anti-Woke Caucus who signed the letter include Representatives Glenn Grothman, Barry Moore, Josh Brecheen, Paul Gosar, Troy Nehls, and Lauren Boebert.