Desert Sands Unified to Approve Agreement for Bargain Basement DEI(B) Teachers

Desert Sands Unified School District is set to approve an agreement Tuesday night with Alder Graduate School of Education that could trigger a Department of Education complaint and put millions of dollars of federal funds at risk.

According to the Agenda Item 20.2 under General Functions-Personnel Services for the Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD) March 18, 2025, board meeting, the DSUSD would (if approved) enter an agreement obligating the district to recruit, provide “residencies” (student teachers) for, and hire student teachers from Alder Graduate School of Education through June of 2027.

More specifically, according to the agenda item description, the agreement:

“…sets forth the terms and conditions for how Alder GSE will recruit and enroll teaching candidates (the “Residents”) to participate in a teacher residency program that will provide multiple subject, single subject, and/or educational specialist teaching credentials from Alder GSE; support in completing requirements for bilingual authorization; and either a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Teaching or a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Special Education from Alder GSE; as well as a year-long apprenticeship with a mentor teacher.”  

While the proposed contract is attached to the district’s agenda item, none of the “Exhibits” mentioned in the contract are made available for public inspection. The “Exhibits” (A through G and A-1) describe the financial contributions, “partner rules,” the DSUSD commitment to hiring residents, among other bits of pertinent information that the public has a right to know about. Most importantly, is the missing “Exhibit B” which describes “The Program,” or the coursework that Alder students take.

Thus, a closer look at Alder Graduate School of Education is needed. A vetting that we must assume was undertaken by Desert Sands USD Superintendent Kelly May-Vollmar, Assistant Superintendent, Personnel Services, Joseph Hyde, Ed.D., and Assistant Superintendent Business Services, Jordan Aquino. Hyde submitted the agreement, May-Vollmar recommends approving the agreement, and Aquino must sign the agreement.

After all, May-Vollmar, Hyde, and Aquino make more than $750,000 combined in base pay and more than $1 million in total pay and benefits, according to Transparent California. Is it too much to expect the Three Supes to do their due diligence, especially when millions of federal funds are on the line?

Apparently, it is too much to expect, proving the saying about assuming right once again. For either there was a dismal lack of vetting of Alder GSE, or the Three Supes are in alignment with Alder GSE’s mission and principles. Either scenario is problematic.

So, once again, it falls to us, the DOE DEI Tipline Writing public, to undertake the job that DSUSD refuses to do—or does and hides.

Alder Graduate School of Education – “The Program”

While the crucial information of the coursework that Alder Graduate School of Education students are required to take was withheld by DSUSD, we can glean some insight by visiting Alder Graduate School of Education’s website.

Amazingly, Alder Graduate School of Education advertises that students can complete a Master in Education (34 units of coursework) AND a teaching credential, a 2-4 year process for most, in just one year! 

Even more amazing is how those grad-students can complete such accelerated coursework when considering Alder Graduate School of Education’s commitment to DEIB-Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Gotta love how [they] keep adding words and definitions to their Marxist slogans. Also, gotta wonder if the DSUSD intentionally left the coursework off the agenda.

According to Alder Graduate School of Education’s “Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging,” Alder GSE believes that “…actively promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEIB) is key to our success as a graduate school of education.”  

To support that belief, Alder Graduate School of Education ensures to “[I]ntegrate a robust DEIB framework throughout our teaching, learning and student programs.” 

The rest of the statement includes the boilerplate phrases of diversity and free from bias and harassment—unless you are a white heterosexual Christian, or a Trump supporter.

Alder Graduate School of Education’s statement on DEIB alone violates Trump’s Executive Orders and guidance from the DOE which would be enough to trigger a complaint with the DOE should the agreement be approved. And, lest we forget, gender ideology is integral to DEIB, as illustrated by this Worcester Polytechnic Institute library guide.

But there is so much more!

First, a perusal of the “research” that Alder Graduate School of Education highlights definitely seems DOE-DEI tipline worthy. The following are examples of work published at Alder: 

• “Teaching for Justice While Navigating Shifting Political Landscapes: Developing Criticality Requires Taking Action” 
• “Re-emphasizing the Roles of “Social” and “Cultural” in Science Education” 
• “Expanding Participation: Supporting Newcomer Students’ Language Development Through Disciplinary Practices.” 
• “Transforming Communities: Re-Imagining the Possibilities Through Equitable Science Teaching”

Secondly, there should be a concern whether Alder Graduate School of Education will even exist in the near future. According to USASpending.gov and DataRepulican.com, Alder Graduate School of Education has received $4.5 million from the federal government since 2018, 32% of its total funds, but exactly $0 federal monies so far in 2025. Did DOGE find them?

If DOGE hasn’t happened across Alder Graduate School of Education yet, they are sure to soon, when considering Alder Graduate School of Education’s origin story.

Aspire Public Schools

The nonprofit Alder Graduate School of Education is the 2018 product of another nonprofit called Aspire Public Schools, which was co-founded in 1998 by Reed Hastings to run tuition-free charter schools. The nonprofit Alder Graduate School of Education was created to supply DEI trained teachers to the nonprofit Aspire at a bargain rate. 

If the name Reed Hastings sounds familiar it might be because he is one of the billionaires that democrats love—the co-founder of Netflix and Democrat Party mega-donor. Yes, the same Netflix that partnered with the Obamas and produced (and aired!) the ultra-creepy and cringe show Cuties.

Reed Hastings, according to Influence Watch, also donates to leftist causes. 

From Influence Watch:

“In 2020, Hastings and Quillin spent over $5.3 million in support of federal Democratic candidates and committees, including $1.4 million in support of President Joe Biden. ² The couple also spent over $4.5 million to support left-of-center ballot initiatives in California and over $2 million on high-profile local elections in 2020 alone. ³” 

Aspire, judging from their mission statements and website disclaimers are going to have their own survivability issues, not to mention their negative $5 million in federal funding.

The Mission of Aspire, taken from their website homepage (including type-set) reads (emphasis added):

“Provide a rigorous, joyful academic experience that cultivates our scholars’ skills, talents, and gifts, such that they may pursue and persist in college or any post-secondary pathway that is authentic to their identities;

Promote inclusivity and disrupt systems that have historically oppressed marginalized communities, including Black, Latino/a/x, Indigenous, and People of Color; and

Nurture our scholars’ pride in their abilities, identities, and communities.”

The DEIB language in Aspire’s mission statement is disqualifying. Disqualifying for Aspire to receive federal grants, ergo, any public educational institution that has an association with Aspire would be putting their own federal funding at risk. But the mission statement doesn’t hold a candle to the footer that appears on every page of the website. This one is also set to centered text (emphasis added):

“Aspire Public Schools is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education. Aspire Public Schools does not allow discrimination, intimidation, harassment (including sex-based harassment) or bullying based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, nationality/national origin, immigration status, ethnic group identification/ethnicity, age, religion, marital status/ pregnancy/ parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, medical information or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.”

This must be seen to be believed. Every single page of the website.

California Beware! 

According to the list provided by Alder, they are in various parts of California, including Los Angeles, the Bay area, the Central Valley, and Southern California. Alder has already placed DEIB trained teachers in the following Department of Education’s DEIB tipline worthy school districts:

LA: Gabriella Charter Schools, Lynwood Unified, and Pasadena Unified.

Bay: Oakland Unified, Pittsburgh Unified, San Lorenzo Unified, San Rafael City Schools, San Mateo County Office of Education, and Vallejo City Unified.

SoCal: Hemet Unified, Rialto Unified, Helendale Unified, Palm Springs Unified, San Jacinto Unified, Silver Valley Unified, and Victor Elementary.

Central Valley/Coast: Monterey County Office of Education, Lindsay Unified, Monterey Peninsula Unified, and San Juan Unified.

Choose wisely, DSUSD trustees…and stop withholding information from the public!