Educational Equity

PRRAC is dedicated to the expansion of education opportunities for low-income and minority students across the country. PRRAC is an active member of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Education Task Force. The Task Force, representing much of the national civil rights community, comes together to support federal policy that increases educational equity for low-income and minority students. Much of PRRAC’s recent work in educational equity has focused on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

ESEA Reauthorization

In January, Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) introduced the Student Success Act in an attempt to move ESEA reauthorization in the House. The draft bill is one of several the House Education Committee chair has introduced this session in a piecemeal approach to revamping ESEA. The draft abandons the current accountability structure but does not offer an alternative to ensure the education of low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, and English language learners is not overlooked by states. The draft also suggests changes to the funding structure of ESEA that would provide states and districts with funding with little accountability for how those funds are spent. PRRAC joined 37 other groups in a letter opposing the bill. You can read the letter here.

In December 2011, PRRAC had signed onto a letter with more than 15 other civil rights and education reform groups to oppose the “Harkin-Enzi” reauthorization bill for its lack of a strong accountability proposal for the vast majority of American schools. You can read the letter here.

PRRAC joined with several other civil rights groups to propose a new system for accountability to be included in a reauthorized ESEA.

Waivers

PRRAC also worked with the Task Force on this letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan on the agency’s flexibility (waivers from certain requirements of ESEA) plan.
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Improved data collection needed on school discipline (January 2013)

"Have We Learned Our Language Lesson?" from the One Nation Indivisible project (July 2012)

View from the Gallery – Oral Argument in Fisher v. University of Texas – Austin

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