WA State Education vs God's Norm

Washington’s superintendent of public schools is resisting the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights' request that states certify their compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the landmark Supreme Court ruling striking down affirmative action.

WA State Superintendent Chris Reykdal called the request "the latest attack against the rights of states to have civil rights frameworks that exceed the federal minimum standards."

Is that really what's happening here?

Be informed, not misled.

In a statement, Chris Reykdal claimed the move was "an attempt to erase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices that, for decades, have helped bring greater opportunities to more students."

It actually hasn't helped bring greater opportunities to more students.

If anything, it has become a distraction to learning for most of the students.

The Post Millennial (PM) says Reykdal previously claimed, "DEI is not a harmful thing; it's a good thing. We cannot allow the federal government to take money away from the state of Washington on a right that is clearly in the states and clearly in our local governments and in our community."

Reykdal said, "Washington will not suppress its core values or cede our right to determine our own education system to the federal government." 

"In response to the Department’s request," Reykdal said, "I sent a letter affirming that Washington has already provided our assurances and met the requirements under Title VI. We will not sign additional certifications that lack authority, lack clarity, or are an assault on the autonomy of states and local school districts by misapplying a higher education admissions case. It would be irresponsible to do so."

Last week, it was revealed that Reykdal was one of several Democratic officials in Washington who threatened legal action against the governing body for high school sports in the Evergreen State if the agency banned men from women’s sports. 

PM reports that Reykdal previously claimed, "DEI is not a harmful thing; it's a good thing. We cannot allow the federal government to take money away from the state of Washington on a right that is clearly in the states and clearly in our local governments and in our community."

This was posted on social media: "Superintendent of Public Schools in Washington Chris Reykdal says schools should 'lean into DEI' and claims, 'DEI is not a harmful thing, it's a good thing.'"

NEW: Superintendent of Public Schools in Washington Chris Reykdal says schools should "lean into DEI" and claims, "DEI is not a harmful thing, it's a good thing." pic.twitter.com/eSj78RLVOD

— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) February 23, 2025

DEI is not a "good" thing.

It is a commitment to a perverted view of human sexuality and a disregard of the duty given to educators who are paid by the citizens.

And the majority of citizens are not favorable to having their daughters physically assaulted in some competitive sports by boys pretending to be girls, nor do they want boys claiming to be girls in the girls' locker room with their daughters.

Citizens are also sick and tired of having boys who performed moderately in sports become champions against girls after claiming to have "transitioned " from boy to girl.

Parents and their daughters are also financially impacted by boys claiming to be girls taking college athletic scholarships from them. 

Reykdal says, "DEI is not a harmful thing. It's a good thing."

I'm reminded of the words of the Prophet Isaiah: 5:20, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

This verse condemns those who reverse moral values and confuse the true nature of good and evil, light and darkness, and bitter and sweet. It suggests a deliberate and willful perversion of truth and a rejection of God's light.

So, how is public education doing in Washington State?

"Education" is supposed to be the main thing in public education.

Reykdal, who has championed the divisive ideology, has presided over a disastrous decline in Washington academics, where 71 percent of the State’s eighth graders aren’t proficient in math and 69 percent aren’t proficient in reading despite record spending.

The Seattle Times said this:

There’s a math problem in Washington state, the latest release of federal test scores show.

The state superintendent for schools says the results should raise concerns about Washington’s future STEM workforce.

Administered every two years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, measures national and state-level student achievement in math and reading in fourth and eighth grade. The results from last year’s tests were released Wednesday.

According to those results, 71% of Washington eighth graders were not proficient in math, compared to 58% in 2013.

While Washington’s average eighth-grade math score was 2 points higher than the national average in 2024, students’ scores have been declining in a trend that predates pandemic school lockdowns. This decade of decline also occurred as state and federal education spending shot up significantly. 

Between 2013 and 2024, the share of Washington students performing below the basic NAEP level of proficiency in math increased by 20%, exceeding the national growth rate.

However, Reykdal says, "Washington will not suppress its core values or cede our right to determine our own education system to the federal government." 

And he's evidentially not interested in what a majority of parents think about substituting activism for education either.

Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Prayerful.