Federal report refutes 9/11 conspiracy theory
Trump signed several executive orders in the Oval Office today focused on education, some continuing the administration’s efforts to root diversity equity and inclusion from schools and others aiming to increase apprenticeships and artificial intelligence training opportunities for students.
One order looks to use the accreditation process for universities, law schools and other graduate programs as another avenue for the administration to combat “woke” policies. It accuses third-party accreditors of relying on “woke ideology” to determine accreditation rather than merit and performance.
“We’re charging the Department of Education to really look holistically at this accreditation mess and hopefully make it much better,” White House aide Will Scharf told Trump.
A different order looks to prevent federal agencies from using “disparate impact theory” to determine policy, with Scharf saying the theory underlies “modern DEI and CRT-driven diversity culture.”
According to Justice Department guidance, disparate impact regulations are used to “ensure programs accepting federal money are not administered in a way that perpetuates the repercussions of past discrimination.”
Trump also signed an order aimed at ensuring Historically Black Colleges and Universities “are able to do their job as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
The order will establish the White House Initiative on HBCUs, in which federal agencies, private sector employees, educational associations and philanthropic organizations will work together to “increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education to an increasing number of students.”
Two of the executive orders are focused on training and workforce development: one directs the Education Department to ensure that young Americans “are adequately trained in AI tools so that they can be competitive,” and another charges federal agencies with creating “up to a million” new apprenticeship programs focused in “critical job areas” facing shortages of workers.
Trump said at the signing that Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who was at the event, personally backed an order focused on toughening school discipline policies, citing past guidance that “made it almost impossible for schools to enforce adequate discipline.”
In a statement, McMahon accused the Biden-Harris administration of “encouraging schools to turn a blind eye to poor or violent behavior in the name of inclusion.”
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, schools were forced to consider equity and inclusion when imposing discipline,” McMahon said. “Disciplinary decisions should be based solely on students’ behavior and actions.”
Trump also signed an order that directs federal agencies to enforce rules relating to foreign gift disclosure policies for American universities. Scharf accused Harvard specifically of “routinely” violating the law as it relates to the disclosures.
