Civil Rights
Read more about civil rights and schools, enforcement by the Education Department's office for civil rights, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, and more
How a Federal Office Investigates and Resolves Discrimination Complaints Against Schools
What is OCR, how do you file a complaint, and what relief can it offer for students or staff whose civil rights may have been violated?
Budget & Finance
Funding Concerns Continue for Schools, Regardless of Census Citizenship Question
Whether or not a controversial citizenship question is excluded from the census, advocacy groups plan outreach to Latinos to ensure an accurate count that will be used to allocate federal education money.
Federal
Trump Suggests He'll Release a School Busing Policy, but Shares Few Specifics
Asked about a debate exchange on busing and school integration, President Donald Trump suggested that he would release a new plan on the issue soon, but provided few details.
Equity & Diversity
Dealing With Dyslexia: 'It's Almost Like It's a Naughty Word' (Video)
When Scott Gann learned his son Dustin had dyslexia, he was shocked at the school's reaction. No one there wanted to use the word.
Federal
Bernie Sanders' Education Plan: Unions and Desegregation Win, Charters Lose
Bernie Sanders' sweeping vision would establish a $60,000 minimum salary for teachers, while clamping down on charters and boosting efforts to desegregate schools. It's hard to see a lot of it becoming a reality.
Federal
Transgender Students, Athletics, Bullying: What the Equality Act Would Mean for Schools
Supporters of the bill say it would extend critical civil rights protections to more students. But opponents say it ignores parents' rights in schools and could lead to confusing situations for some children.
Equity & Diversity
Do Democrats' School Diversity and Integration Ideas Match What Advocates Want?
"We need meaningful solutions to dismantle racial and socioeconomic segregation in America's schools," said Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, the author of one of the two bills addressing integration and diversity. Do advocates think her ideas go far enough?
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Why We Weren't Surprised to See Teachers Holding a Noose
No, many educators don't just "know better" when it comes to acts of racial violence, write Shaun R. Harper and James Bridgeforth.
Law & Courts
What Are Students' Constitutional Rights?
The First Amendment looks different in schools. (So do the 4th, 5th, 8th, and 14th.)
Every Student Succeeds Act
Here's How Well a Key Civil Rights Group Thinks States Address Equity in ESSA
The National Urban League says eight states are doing a "poor" job looking out for vulnerable students under their ESSA plans, while many others are doing "sufficient" work.
Law & Courts
Landmark Case on Student Free Speech Still Resonates 50 Years Later
The Supreme Court’s 1969 ‘Tinker’ ruling in the case of students wearing black armbands remains a touchstone in the robust debate over the rights of free expression in public schools.
Law & Courts
Reading the Tea Leaves in Denial of Case Involving a Coach's On-Field Prayer
Though the Supreme Court refused this particular case, some see an opening for future challenges involving First Amendment issues and public employees.
Education
Civil Rights Groups Urge States to Ensure ESSA Plans Help Vulnerable Children
A key coalition of civil rights groups is urging state education chiefs to continue to get community input on their plans and make sure students of color, among others, aren't being ignored.
Special Education
Initiative Tightens Scrutiny on Restraint, Seclusion in Spec. Ed.
The U.S. Department of Education's civil rights and special education offices are teaming up for compliance reviews, more assistance to schools and districts, and better data collection on the extent of seclusion and restraint.
Equity & Diversity
These Politicians Who Fought for Segregation Have Schools Named for Them
Should schools named after men like Strom Thurmond and schools named for Confederates like Robert E. Lee be lumped together? What does a school name signal to students? We explore these and other questions in a new reporting project.