Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Willie Jett sent a letter responding to the U.S. Department of Education’s request last week for all state and local education leaders to certify compliance with Title VI, a federal law that prohibits racial discrimination in schools and universities that receive federal funds. In summary, MDE has rejected the DOE’s request to sign the letter and has challenged the DOE’s authority to require it as a condition of receiving federal funds.
After noting that “MDE has been faithfully implementing federal education programs in accordance with federal law