Politicizing the Department of Education in the War Against DEI
Theorizing Implications for the Principal Preparation Landscape
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22043369 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mario Jackson (0000-0003-3059-8376, Florida State University, corresponding author), Bolumani Sondah (0009-0005-5936-7899, Florida State University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pages | 1270 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci15101270 |
| OpenAlex | W4414426161 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 65 |
This essay theorizes implications of mounting political efforts to dismantle the Department of Education (DoE) as part of the anti–Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movement, with particular attention to consequences for principal preparation programs. While overlooked, federal policies have played a critical albeit complex role in shaping the principal preparation landscape. This essay challenges prevailing narratives that characterize federal impact on preparation programs as minimal, offering a more nuanced account of how federal policies support the development of high-quality and equity-oriented school leaders. This essay identifies three primary areas of federal influence: prioritizing high-needs schools, encouraging the adoption of innovative and evidence-based practices, and facilitating national understanding of the principal preparation landscape. These dimensions are used to theorize consequences of defunding or dismantling the DoE for educational leadership preparation. In addition to implications for policymakers and lobbyists ahead of the impending congressional vote about the DoE’s future, implications are offered for future research and federal policies to improve and expand the scope of influence over preparation programs
Narrative · Politics · Professional development · Spanish Civil War · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy
How Leadership Influences Student Learning
How Principals Affect Students and Schools
Reflections on leadership preparation research and current directions
Equity and Early Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act in State-Designed Plans During Covid
“Fighting an Uphill Battle”
“It Feels Like White Supremacy Losing Control”
Schooling the State
Using problem-based learning to prepare educational leaders
Can the Evidence Revolution and Multi‐Tiered Systems of Support Improve Education Equity and Reading Achievement
A Call for Data on the Principal Pipeline
Fiscal Federalism and K–12 Education Funding
Competitive Grants and Educational Federalism
From No Child Left behind to the Every Student Succeeds Act
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |