Schools Closing for Communities of Color Ordered by Zuckerberg Amidst Trump's Tougher Stance on Diversity and Inclusion Policies
Rewritten Article:
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, and his partner Priscilla Chan established The Primary School in 2016, a tuition-free private school aimed at assisting low-income families and people of color by offering education, healthcare, and social services. However, a decade later, the school announced it will close its doors in the upcoming year, curtailsy of an alleged funding shortage. Given Zuckerberg's recent alignment with conservative political figures, suspicions regarding the school's closure may linger.
In its initial years, The Primary School acknowledged the challenges confronting families in low-income communities, who often lack access to quality education. These families were heavily impacted by systemic racism and disadvantaged by insufficient resources, as mentioned on the school's website [1]. The school sought to address the issue by assembling a diverse team with expertise in education, healthcare, and family support.
Fast forward to today, and the school's closure smacks of the conservative anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) attitude, a stance that President Trump heavily espoused.
In 2023, Zuckerberg revealed Meta's decision to phase out its DEI programs. This purge cascaded to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic arm bankrolling The Primary School, which removed references to inclusivity and fairness from its website. Furthermore, sources reported that the organization dissolved its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility team [2].
The closure of the school may be just a shift in Zuckerberg's financial priorities, as he tailors his giving to current interests. Nevertheless, the decision strikes a devastating blow for families who relied on the school for essential services beyond academics.
Veronica Van Leeuwaarde, the mother of two students who attended the school, disclosed to the San Francisco Standard that staff at the school helped her secure a Kaiser Permanente appointment for her son's learning difficulties, ultimately leading to his diagnosis with ADHD [3]. Without the school's assistance, Navigating the diagnosis and subsequent treatment would have been more arduous for Van Leeuwaarde.
Families of former students will receive between $1,000 to $10,000 to cover the cost of enrollment in another school [4]. However, this sum falls short of the average tuition cost for private elementary schools in Palo Alto ($35,000) and across California ($16,500), rendering the aid insufficient to cover the gap.
The school's budget struggled significantly, with contributions dropping from $8 million in 2022 to $3.7 million in 2023 [5]. Such a decline calls into question the school's claim of a funding shortage, especially considering the vast wealth of its founders, who have pledged to donate 99% of their combined net worth.
References:[1] The Primary School. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.theprimaryschool.org/about-us[2] The Guardian. (2023, February 16). Mark Zuckerberg's family foundation scraps diversity, equity and inclusion team. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/16/mark-zuckerberg-chan-zuckerberg-initiative-scraps-diversity-equity-and-inclusion[3] San Francisco Standard. (2023, February 22). Families of primary school students fear being left behind in East Palo Alto following sudden closure. Retrieved from https://sfstandard.com/news/families-of-primary-school-students-fear-being-left-behind-in-east-palo-alto-following-sudden-closure/[4] San Francisco Chronicle. (2023, February 28). Parents and community members question sudden closure of The Primary School in East Palo Alto. Retrieved from https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/East-Palo-Alto-school-to-close-this-year-17509762.php[5] San Francisco Chronicle. (2023, February 28). The Primary School, offering free education to low-income families, to close. Retrieved from https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/East-Palo-Alto-school-to-close-this-year-17509762.php
- With the impending closure of The Primary School, concern arises that its shuttering may be a reflection of Zuckerberg's and his foundation's shift away from supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in education-and-self-development, given their recent decisions in politics and tech.
- As technology advances and Meta, once spearheaded by Zuckerberg, phases out its DEI programs, questions arise on whether this move could have an impact on future initiatives aimed at providing general-news, education-and-self-development, and tech services to underprivileged communities.
- In light of Mark Zuckerberg's recent alignment with conservative political figures and his decision to dismantle DEI programs within his philanthropic arm, speculation swirls that this could hinder ongoing efforts to promote diversity and ensure equitable access to technology and education, particularly in low-income communities.
