While 47 other states got the memo that DEI is dead, New York just doubled down with $8 million in fresh spending on "teacher diversity recruitment, training, and retention initiatives" — because apparently the one thing New York's crumbling school system really needed was more seminars about implicit bias.

President Trump signed executive orders back in January 2025 making it clear that "government institutions should return to merit, equal treatment, and individual opportunity rather than demographic balancing." The rest of the country said "yes sir." New York said "hold my kombucha."

The New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus released what they're calling the "People's Budget" for fiscal year 2026-27, and it's a masterclass in misplaced priorities. In addition to that $8 million for diversity hiring programs, the budget earmarks $250,000 for "developing inclusive teaching resources and curricula" for K-12 classrooms. A quarter million dollars to make sure your kid's math homework has the right pronouns.

Meanwhile — and this is the part that should make your blood boil — only 31% of New York fourth graders scored at or above proficiency in reading on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress. That means seven out of ten kids in the fourth grade can't read at grade level. In eighth grade math? Just 26% hit proficiency. Three out of four kids can't do basic math.

But sure, let's spend millions on diversity consultants. That'll fix it.

As Patriot Post contributor Gregory Lyakhov wrote, "Students need stronger schools. Parents need more control over their children's education." Revolutionary stuff, right? Apparently too revolutionary for Albany, where the solution to kids who can't read is to hire teachers based on skin color instead of skill.

Here's what kills me. Every corporation that jumped on the DEI bandwagon has been quietly dismantling those programs for the past year. Universities are backing off. Federal agencies have been ordered to stand down. The American public made it crystal clear at the ballot box that they're done with identity politics dressed up as policy. And New York looked at all of that and said, "Nah, we're good."

Lyakhov nailed it: "New York does not have a shortage of political messaging in education. New York has a shortage of results."

That's the whole story right there. New York is the last guy at the party doing the Macarena, sweating through his shirt, wondering why nobody's dancing anymore. The DJ went home. The lights are on. Everyone left. But New York's still out there on the floor, spending your tax dollars on diversity curricula while its kids can't pass a reading test.

At some point, you'd think even Albany would look at a 31% literacy rate and ask whether maybe — just maybe — the millions they're pouring into DEI programs should go toward actually teaching children. But that would require admitting the whole thing was a scam, and we all know that's never going to happen.

New York's going to ride this thing straight into the ground. And the kids will pay the price.