Defending Education (DE) released an investigative report on school district contracts with teachers’ unions. It found that many recent contracts include commitments to anti-racism and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, race-based priorities in recruiting, hiring, and keeping staff, race-based affinity groups, and mandatory DEI training. These practices hurt students and staff, and they may be illegal because they often violate federal civil rights law.
One contract highlighted in the report was the agreement between Denver Public Schools (DPS) and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA), which has an entire section called “Equity in the School District.” The troubling, and in some cases illegal, parts of this agreement include:
- Race-based programs for teachers
- Race-based hiring quotas
- Mandatory “equity” training
- Racial equity analysis tools
- A committee to carry out these DEI practices
As DPS and DCTA work toward a new contract by August 31, 2025, Defending Education, Colorado Parent Advocacy Network, and Protect Kids Colorado asked that all DEI-related initiatives be removed from the new agreement. DPS and DCTA should focus on improving student learning, supporting teachers in the classroom, and making sure taxpayer dollars go toward the success of all students, not political and ideological programs.
Read the full letter below:
