The Incompatibility of DEI and SEL: A Call for Resolution

Texas We Have a Problem...

Governor Greg #Abbott delivers 2025 State of the State address. Photo by KWTX

A letter has been sent to the Departments of Education in all 50 states, notifying them that they have 14 days to remove all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programming in public schools. Institutions that fail to comply with this directive may face a loss of federal funding.

The removal of DEI is a necessary step in restoring education to its fundamental purpose—academic excellence free from ideological influence. However, despite this clear mandate, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) remains embedded within Texas' Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards and the $2.44 BILLION, TEA developed state owned Bluebonnet curriculum. SEL, much like DEI, has been used as a vehicle to introduce controversial concepts of equity, systemic bias, and cultural conditioning into classrooms. This creates an inherent contradiction: DEI is being removed at the federal level while SEL continues to advance similar objectives at the state level.

The Policy Contradiction

DEI and SEL are two sides of the same coin. SEL programs, under the guise of character development, often promote subjective and politically motivated ideologies that mirror DEI principles. These programs go beyond teaching personal responsibility and self-discipline, instead indoctrinating students with concepts of systemic oppression, implicit bias, and social activism. If DEI is to be removed from public education, SEL must also be dismantled to prevent ideological subversion from continuing under a different name.

Texas Senate Bill 123 (SB 123) mandates SEL in Texas schools, making it a critical issue that must be addressed. The federal government’s actions against DEI should prompt Texas lawmakers to reassess and repeal SB 123 to ensure that SEL is not used as a loophole to continue advancing DEI-aligned teachings.

The Hidden Agenda: How CRT and DEI Are Embedded in Schools Through SEL

Across the country, parents and educators have been raising concerns over the infiltration of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in schools. Despite official bans in some states, these ideologies persist under the guise of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and digital learning programs.

Governor Abbott’s Contradiction

Texas Governor Greg Abbott must be held accountable for his role in appointing Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath, who has championed bringing SEL into Texas classrooms since his appointment in 2016. Under Morath’s leadership, Texas has undergone a significant shift away from traditional academic subjects such as reading, writing, math, and history toward an emphasis on values, beliefs, and behaviors. This transformation is directly aligned with the objectives of SEL and contradicts Abbott’s public stance against DEI.

Abbott publicly states that DEI must be banned at all levels of public education, including K-12. However, his actions in appointing and supporting Morath’s implementation of SEL suggest otherwise. As heard in a recent interview, Abbott strongly advocates for eliminating DEI from public education:

"Last session, we banned DEI at universities, this session, we must ban DEI in grades K-12. We must also expand the ban on DEI in our public universities. We must purge it from every corner of our schools and return the focus to merit."

Despite these statements, his administration continues to enforce policies that allow SEL, which mirrors DEI principles, to remain in Texas classrooms. This contradiction raises serious concerns about Abbott’s commitment to truly removing ideological indoctrination from Texas schools.

Immediate Policy Actions Needed

With President Trump’s executive action mandating the removal of DEI initiatives, Texas has an obligation to align its policies accordingly. This includes:

1. A Full Legislative Repeal of SB 123 – Lawmakers must eliminate SEL from Texas schools to ensure that DEI-aligned ideology does not persist under another framework.

2. A Comprehensive Overhaul of TEKS Standards – The Texas State Board of Education must revise TEKS to remove any references to SEL that promote subjective or politically charged narratives.

3. Strict Oversight on Compliance – School districts must be held accountable for implementing these changes and ensuring that DEI-related content does not re-enter classrooms under the SEL label.

The Urgent Need for Resolution

The continued presence of SEL in public education directly undermines efforts to remove DEI. If Texas and other states are to comply fully with the federal mandate, they must eliminate all avenues through which DEI-related content is introduced. Education must return to its core purpose: imparting knowledge, fostering critical thinking, and preparing students for academic and professional success without ideological interference.

Conclusion: A Clear Path Forward

The federal government has drawn a line against DEI in education, and Texas must follow suit by addressing the SEL issue head-on. There can be no half-measures. The contradiction between banning DEI while allowing SEL to continue must be resolved immediately to prevent further erosion of academic integrity.

The time for action is now. Texas lawmakers, educators, and parents must demand the full removal of SEL and ensure that our schools are focused on education, not ideological programming. The failure to do so will allow the same harmful principles of DEI to persist under a different name, undermining the very purpose of this federal directive.