A nearly $2 million contract that bolsters diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been endorsed by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). This agreement may be renewed at any time up to May 2028.
A thorough evaluation of DEI policies, continuous consultation, program creation, and professional learning for students, administrators, and senior leadership are all components of the contract that was signed in November 2021. The overall cost of the contract, including one base year and four additional add-on years, might exceed $1.2 million before it concludes, totaling $1,987,347.
During the contract period, DoDEA provided services to almost 66,000 students in 174 schools across the United States and in military facilities around the globe. DoDEA cannot apply DEI principles agency-wide due to disparities, hurdles, and gaps BCT Partners will uncover in an assessment report.
The contract offers a glossary of DEI-related terms and their explanations, which includes terms like “micro-aggression,” “gaslighting,” and three shades of “racism.” The term “anti-racism” refers to a concerted effort to combat racism in all its forms, whereas “critical race theory,” as developed by Kimberle Crenshaw, is defined more precisely in light of her research.
Instructional solid leadership in every school-informed employee who values the impact of race, diversity, equality, and inclusion on DoDEA’s culture and integrated strategies to champion DEI principles in curriculum implementation are all necessary for successful DEI strategic implementation, which DoDEA recognizes as requiring knowledgeable leadership teams, engaged managers, supervisors, and administrators who participate on diversity councils.
The contractor was granted two contract revisions, one in June 2022 and another in April 2023, which increased the spending maximum. The contract was given as a result of an executive order by President Joe Biden that sought to promote race-conscious governmental policies and training.
Implementing DEI in hiring and retaining staff, career advancement, and classroom instruction was the goal of a four-year strategy unveiled by DoDEA in 2021.
