I have worked in education for 16 years and just wanted to add my perspective. Here in Illinois over the last few years the state has shifted its goals to "equitable outcomes". This in and of itself is responsible for much of the lowering of academic standards since it is a flawed (but perhaps well intention-ed) goal.
In a excellent school district in a suburb of Chicago a district goal was adopted to reach equitable outcomes in higher Math. In a nutshell since black students scored statistically lower on AP Calculus this was seen as a failure in the school district. Despite increasing the number of black students able to pass AP Calculus the school district looked to cancel offering the course since Asian and affluent white students still scored statistically higher.
The idea that all races, genders, or whatever categorization you can come up with must have the same equitable outcome is a flawed goal. Education used to be about taking a student where they are and showing improved learning outcomes.
Equality used to be about striving for equal opportunity. The shift to conflating equality with equalized outcomes simply doesn't work.
I would suggest that in fact it hasn't; it was just as virulent over the past 50 years as it was over the last 3, but you just noticed it more in the last 3 years.
In a excellent school district in a suburb of Chicago a district goal was adopted to reach equitable outcomes in higher Math. In a nutshell since black students scored statistically lower on AP Calculus this was seen as a failure in the school district. Despite increasing the number of black students able to pass AP Calculus the school district looked to cancel offering the course since Asian and affluent white students still scored statistically higher.
The idea that all races, genders, or whatever categorization you can come up with must have the same equitable outcome is a flawed goal. Education used to be about taking a student where they are and showing improved learning outcomes.
Equality used to be about striving for equal opportunity. The shift to conflating equality with equalized outcomes simply doesn't work.