Dear DPS Community,
At our Principal Quarterly meeting last week, I heard from many of our administrators who voiced their concerns about the great uncertainty our schools are facing with regard to the many changes announced through executive orders. Yesterday, President Trump officially signed an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
The executive order states that with the closure of the U.S. Department of Education, the Secretary of Education will “return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
The order also goes on to say, “Consistent with the Department of Education’s authorities, the Secretary of Education shall ensure that the allocation of any Federal Department of Education funds is subject to rigorous compliance with Federal law and Administration policy, including the requirement that any program or activity receiving Federal assistance terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology.”
I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the uncertainty and the anxiety this issue is causing our community. We are well aware of the issues recent executive orders have brought to light and have been closely monitoring developments so that we can appropriately respond at the right time. However, at this time we do not have enough information to provide any clarity on what the ultimate impacts of any of the new policies or the elimination of the Department of Education will have on DPS.
Please know that we are committed to transparency and will share more on how these changes will impact us as we learn more.
These are difficult times. But we are Team DPS, and I know that regardless of what may come our way, our amazing educators will continue to show up for our students every day. We will continue to work towards our vision that Every Learner Thrives.
Thank you for all that you do for our students and community.
In collaboration,
Dr. Alex Marrero
Superintendent