Idaho led the nation last year by banning political indoctrination in higher education, but several state colleges and universities just won’t take “No” for an answer. That’s why the Goldwater Institute sent a letter to Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador urging him to enforce the law and close the loopholes the schools are using to continue mandating toxic diversity, equity, and inclusion courses.
Idaho was the first state to pass Goldwater’s Freedom from Indoctrination Act, which prohibits schools from forcing students into courses or trainings “derived from” DEI. But recent guidance issued by the Idaho Board of Education has significantly expanded the exceptions for DEI coursework beyond the narrow boundaries of the statute. The result: students at state universities are still being forced to take courses like Diversity and Social Justice and Justice, Advocacy, and Policy Practice.
No student should be required to participate in a DEI indoctrination session just to earn a degree. That’s why the Goldwater Institute will defend Idaho’s legislative reforms and make sure the state’s colleges and universities follow the law.
Read more.
It’s been years in the making, but the unintended consequences of public schools shifting their focus from the ABCs to DEI are becoming clear at one of the nation’s top public universities where incoming freshmen are increasingly unable to do basic math. The math meltdown at the University of California, San Diego highlights the urgent need for Goldwater Institute reforms aimed at refocusing schools on the basics.
At UCSD, internal faculty reports show that about one in eight freshmen require remedial math—even that remedial math is too advanced for about 10 percent of the students. This coincides with broad changes in K-12 classrooms where instructional time has increasingly been shifted from key education areas like math and reading to identity-based topics. For example, beginning with the class of 2030, all public high school students in California will be forced to complete an “ethnic studies” course.
To restore academic rigor, lawmakers should consider passing Goldwater’s Academic Transparency Act, which requires public schools to disclose their classroom materials and activities online. At the higher education level, Goldwater’s Freedom from Indoctrination Act prohibits public colleges and universities from mandating DEI courses as a requirement for graduation.
Read more.
Another year, another set of lies from Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs about the state’s nation-leading and wildly successful Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program. When Hobbs falsely asserted during her state of the state address that the school choice program operates with “no accountability,” the Goldwater Institute set the record straight.
Today, more than 99,000 Arizona students are utilizing the ESA program to get an education that works best for them. ESAs are not bankrupting the state or driving school closures. And contrary to Hobbs’ false assertions, the program already has strict accountability and guardrails—families must document purchases, comply with audits, and follow clear rules about how ESA funds can be used.
Hobbs and her allies are intent on ending education freedom in Arizona and will continue to spread falsehoods about ESAs. When they do, the Goldwater Institute will be there to ensure the public knows the truth about this groundbreaking program.
Read more.
