Texas Senate passes bill to eliminate DEI in K-12 schools

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas state senators voted along party lines this week to pass an education omnibus bill that would eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies at K-12 public schools.

Senate Bill 12, filed by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, is called the Texas Parental Bill of Rights in Education. The senator explained at its core, the bill solidifies that “parents are the chief decision-makers for their children.”

The bill aims to strengthen parental rights, reform student transfers in public schools and increase transparency for parents, mandating schools notify parents of any opt-out options on instruction.

But the element of the bill that garnered the most conversation on the Senate floor was the ban on DEI. The bill says schools must remove DEI policies and activities and that school districts must implement discipline policies for any violations.

Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, gave a passionate response to the bill on the chamber floor. “The state has demonized DEI,” Borris said. He added that “if the achievement gaps for minority students widen, we can look back to this bill as the start.”

Creighton defended his bill and argued DEI policies are actually dividing students even more in the classrooms. “They’re certainly not bringing all students together,” Creighton said on the chamber floor.

Opponents of the bill also argue the elimination of DEI from public schools will make it harder for schools to hire teachers. Sarai Flores, a policy fellow for School Board Members for Latino Equity, testified at a senate committee hearing in February about SB 12.

“At a time where Texas faces a severe teacher shortage, we should be trying to attract diverse talent from around the country to teach at our schools,” Flores said.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who made this bill one of his top priorities of the session, released a statement following the passage.

“I prioritized SB 12 because parents must be empowered to have an even greater role in their children’s education,” Patrick said. “With more parental input and empowerment, Texas students will be better served by the public education system. I thank Sen. Creighton for his continued commitment to improving public education in Texas.”