Donald Trump’s reelection has left many progressives worried about the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. And for good reason.

Yet as a school principal in New York City, I have come to recognize an ironic truth: DEI programs, as traditionally practiced, can be divisive, placing students in rigid roles that can push them apart instead of bringing them together.

This is why a new approach to diversity is needed, one that avoids the politicized dogma that now defines the DEI landscape.

At our school, Birch Wathen Lenox, we have adopted a different model: one that prioritizes constructive dialogue, intellectual rigor, and respect for the diversity of points of view.

We avoid an identity-based curriculum that presents large swaths of students in one light.

Instead, we promote a unified community that values ​​diversity of thought, experience, and shared principles.

Conventional DEI frameworks have long been known for their problematic principles.

Students are often characterized as “oppressed” or “oppressors” – the latter bearing the burden of dismantling historical injustices, the former implicitly encouraged to see their futures as defined by those same structures.

This binary vision denies any sense of agency and reduces personal growth to predetermined identity categories. What’s also worrying: Traditional DEI efforts often ignore the long history and ongoing threat of anti-Semitism.

The impact of traditional classroom DEI programs extends beyond identity categories. DEI in schools can promote only one set of ideological viewpoints as virtuous.

Topics like “white supremacy culture” — which disconcertingly describes habits like “punctuality” as racist — and mandated ethnic “affinity groups” drive students apart, despite little research supporting their efficiency.

In some cases, academic standards have even been lowered to address perceived achievement inequities that further reinforce harmful stereotypes rather than supporting students’ full potential.

Instead, we have adopted a model that promotes respectful dialogue and intellectual rigor.

Our Constructive Dialogue program, for example, encourages students to engage in open inquiry and debate. They are presented with a wide range of perspectives and taught to respond with reasoned arguments rather than emotional reactions.

Additionally, courses such as Democracy and Dissent, Middle Eastern History, and Holocaust and Genocide Studies explore history and current events critically and empathetically – without burdening them with the burden of past wrongs based solely on identity.

To support this approach, our Dean of Curriculum and Academic Freedom ensures that our program remains balanced, intellectually stimulating and inclusive.

We further recognize students who thoughtfully and respectfully engage with diverse ideas through the John Stuart Mill Award for Excellence in Debate and Open Discourse.

We have collaborated with free speech organizations such as Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the Institute of Constructive Dialogue – and, although we have faculty who oversee diversity and inclusion work, we do not employ a formal DEI officer.

Our goal is to build a school culture that honors intellectual curiosity and values ​​constructive engagement.

Our commitment to reviewing and revising DEI policies does not mean we ignore tragic stories or current injustices.

Our curriculum includes historically marginalized voices and ensures that students develop a deep appreciation for events without taking blame for past wrongs.

We avoid concepts like “settler colonialism,” which portrays American students as guilty of living in this country. We also reject narratives that unjustifiably target Israel. We recognize that these topics are complex and nuanced and we approach them without unnecessary guilt or shame.

Feedback from Birch Wathen Lenox parents has been overwhelmingly positive.

Families appreciate our commitment to free speech and constructive dialogue, particularly our stance to directly address the recent rise of anti-Semitism in America.

Parents have reacted, often with relief, to our unorthodox orthodoxy: applications have increased by 250% since 2023. “We were attracted by your enthusiasm for constructive dialogue, allowing students to express themselves freely,” I a newly registered mother recently said.

In a climate where DEI has become polarized and politicized, there is an alternative model that truly prioritizes inclusion, intellectual freedom and respect for all.

The future of DEI should be defined by a shared commitment to empowering every student to think critically and compassionately, not by rigid identity categories or ideological biases. Our vision of diversity values ​​merit, respect and excellence.

This approach will not only prepare our students to engage thoughtfully and effectively in a complicated world, but will also shape them into informed citizens and leaders of tomorrow.

Bill Kuhn is head of school at Birch Wathen Lenox in New York.