ATLANTA – The Georgia Professional Standards Commission voted unanimously Thursday to remove the words “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion” from the state’s educator preparation rules despite an outpouring of opposition.
The request to delete the words came from the University System of Georgia, which was seeking to clarify expectations for the system’s educator preparation programs, commission Chairman Brian Sirmans said.
“We were told these words were leading to difficulty in determining program standards,” he said.
But a coalition of Georgia students, educators, and parents held a news conference after Thursday’s vote to criticize the decision as a politically motivated step that will hurt teacher preparation and worsen the state’s teacher shortage.
“This feels very similar to the divisive concept law,” said Tracey Nance, a former elementary school teacher who was Georgia Teacher of the Year for two years running, referring to legislation the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed last year restricting how racism can be taught in Georgia schools. “It’s going to have a very chilling effect.”
“Diversity is a core element of what it means to be a good teacher,” added Yacine Kout, an assistant professor of education at the University of North Georgia. “Removing that aspect of teacher education does not serve our future leaders.”
Kout went on to predict that Thursday’s vote will contribute to Georgia’s shortage of teachers because it will discourage college students from pursuing education as a major.
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