The National Association of School Psychologists Doubles Down on DEI

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) appears to be doubling down on its commitment to DEI in the wake of President Trump’s executive order targeting DEI at medical associations.

President Trump signed an executive order last month that, among other things, asked the heads of federal agencies and departments to produce a strategic enforcement plan to deter illegal DEI programs and practices, with each agency tasked with identifying “nine potential civil compliance investigations” of private-sector organizations.

Moreover, the executive order explicitly mentions “medical associations” as targets of enforcement action; Do No Harm previously reported that many medical associations who have openly embraced DEI and gender ideology had opted to avoid public disavowals of the Trump executive orders.

In response, NASP President Peter Faustino sent an email to members doubling down on the organization’s DEI activities. 

While the NASP declined to overtly oppose the executive order, it did reiterate its commitment to “equity, diversity, and inclusion” in spite of the executive order.

Additionally, the NASP linked to its “Resolutions” webpage which includes resolutions to pursue divisive agenda items such as “anti-racism” (which, in practice, invariably involves racial discrimination).

The anti-racism resolution include commitments to “prioritize the perspectives and viewpoints of BIPOC students, families, and communities,” to “provide opportunities for implicit bias training and education for school psychologists and graduate educators,” to advocate for hiring policies so that school psychologists are “reflective of the demographics of the school community,” and many more.

The email links to the NASP Policy Platform, which also includes multiple references to efforts to advance the DEI agenda.

For instance, the platform includes avowals to oppose policies that would “condition the receipt of federal funds on the prohibition or censorship of curricula, instruction, discussion, or professional development related to: equity, diversity, culturally responsive practices, cultural humility, systemic racism, mitigating implicit bias, social-emotional learning, or any other topic of relevance in K-12 schools and within the higher education system.”

In a three-part series, Do No Harm cataloged the NASP’s embrace of DEI and gender ideology, and its attempts to inject its agenda into every facet of the school psychologist profession.

For instance, the NASP put out a press release in 2023 announcing that it “condemns recent legislative efforts and executive actions in states across the country that seek to discourage, criminalize, and endanger transgender and gender diverse students.”

The organization also defended the teaching of critical race theory in public schools and promoted implicit bias trainings for the school psychologist profession.

Moreover, the NASP’s continuing professional development mandate requires certified individuals to undergo DEI training and indoctrination.

It’s concerning that the NASP is reaffirming its commitment to these ideals and practice, considering how enthusiastic its support for divisive, discriminatory, and radical politics has been.

We urge them to take stock of how unpopular this regressive ideology is, and commit themselves instead to providing the best possible mental health care.