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?
Every Student Succeeds Act
Key Federal Studies Face Hazy Future Under Trump
After fending off threats from congressional Republicans for years, some big federal studies that yield troves of data on education face an even more uncertain future.
Social Studies
Opinion
We the People Vs. a Chosen Body: A Debate as Old as the Nation
The new report by the National Association of Scholars, Making Citizens: How American Universities Teach Civics, reopens a debate as old as the nation -- is democracy is elections, or the ongoing work of the people?
Law & Courts
U.S. Supreme Court Considers Level of Special Education Benefits
Many observers sensed the justices seemed willing to consider a higher standard for the benefit that must be conferred to a student under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Equity & Diversity
Education Official to Lead the Civil Rights Commission
Catherine E. Lhamon, the Education Department's current assistant secretary for civil rights, was appointed by President Obama to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in December and was selected by its members to be chairwoman.
Equity & Diversity
NAACP President Says Charter School Growth Weakens Public School System
NAACP President Cornell William Brooks talks to Education Week about why the civil rights organization is pushing ahead with its campaign to slow the expansion of charter schools.
Federal
Civil Rights Groups Blast Betsy DeVos' 'Lack of Respect' for Student Diversity
How Trump and DeVos (if she is confirmed by the Senate) will handle civil rights issues at the Education Department has been one of the major questions surrounding her.
Equity & Diversity
Annual Civil Rights Complaints to Ed. Dept. More Than Doubled Since 2008
The Education Department's office for civil rights, which got 16,720 complaints in fiscal 2016, has taken heat from Republicans in Congress and others about its guidance and enforcement approach.
Federal
Conn. District Discriminated Against Families With Limited English Skills
A federal investigation found that the East Hartford, Conn., school system failed to provide adequate language services to parents and guardians with limited English skills.
Equity & Diversity
Conn. District Set Up Enrollment Barriers for Families With Limited English
A federal investigation found that the East Hartford, Conn., school system failed to provide adequate language services to parents and guardians with limited English skills.
Special Education
Trump's Attorney General Pick Draws Ire of Disability Advocates
Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican and president-elect Donald Trump's selection for attorney general, singled out the special education law as contributing to a decline in classroom discipline.
Law & Courts
Civil Rights Groups Wary on Federal Enforcement Stance Under Trump
Advocates worry that the incoming Trump administration could scale back federal civil rights enforcement in education after nearly eight years of high-profile attention to the subject.
Equity & Diversity
Federal Judge Orders New Voting System In Ferguson, Mo., School District
U.S. District Chief Judge Rodney W. Sippel had halted the district's school board elections until a new system could be put in place. The Ferguson-Florissant, Mo., district had argued to keep its current at-large voting system.
Equity & Diversity
Educators and Advocates Brace for Harsher Stance on Immigration Under Trump
In the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and repeal protections granted to certain young immigrants. Will he follow through?
Social Studies
Opinion
Remembering our Roots—Democracy of the People
The most important task after this dismal election is to remember the idea that animated America's founding --- democracy is people-centered, not politician-centered. Building foundations for this idea through people-owned schools -- free spaces -- which bring people together across partisan and other divides is a crucial task.