Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington said he is “very concerned” about the Trump administration’s threats to withhold federal funding from state schools because of DEI practices, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The U.S. Department of Education announced on Thursday, April 3 that state education agencies have 10 days to certify that schools are complying with antidiscrimination laws and have no “illegal DEI practices” in order to continue receiving federal funding.
Shapiro said on Tuesday that the Pennsylvania Department of Education is still reviewing the directive. He urged the state’s congressional delegation to not “go along with cutting funding that impacts each and every one of our school districts.”
“At this point, I think a lot of us are seeking clarity on what the Trump administration means by most of the executive orders he signs, which tend to be more about press releases and less about actual legally binding teeth,” Shapiro told The Inquirer.
“We’re working through what they’ve asked for, and we’re going through that process right now,” Shapiro said. “We’ll get back to you.”
In March, Shapiro said he will consider legal action if the executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education causes Pennsylvania to lose billions in federal funding for its schools.
In related news, the governor was featured by The Jewish Exponent on Monday in an article titled “Gov. Josh Shapiro: Proud of His Faith and ‘Getting Stuff Done’”.
The story says Shapiro’s Judaism “is at the core of his being” and played a major role in his upbringing.
“I grew up raised in an observant Jewish home. … I went to day school at Forman [Hebrew Day School in Elkins Park] and then Akiba [Hebrew Academy in Merion Station], now Barrack [Hebrew Academy],” Shapiro told The Exponent. “Akiba is actually where I met my wife in the ninth grade. So, we were both raised in similar environments. Every Friday night was reserved for Shabbat dinner, and typically, Saturday morning was spent in shul — we belonged to Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park.”
“We grew up with faith guiding a lot of our daily lives, and it really shaped me in a way that I knew I had to do something in service to others,” he said. “Now in no way did I think I’d be governor of Pennsylvania, nor did I really think that I’d go into a career in politics, but I knew that because of how I was raised, it would be a life of service.”
The story goes on to chronicle Shapiro’s public service career and political aspirations, including “protecting people’s fundamental rights and freedoms.”
“I know a lot of people are worried, especially right now, about forces that want to roll back the progress that’s been made, forces that want to take away their rights and freedoms, and so I’m doing everything in my power to protect them,” he said.
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Photos: Commonwealth Media Services