Our Interim Executive Director Jennifer Coco sheds a light on how education advocates, nonprofit leaders, and philanthropists can work together to uphold the rights of students with disabilities. Read the full article here.
Mar 14
Mar 12
CLE condemns the Trump Administration’s gutting of the Department of Education through its massive Reduction in Force of thousands of staff, and will continue to oppose any related federal actions that abolish its important role protecting the rights and preventing discrimination of students with disabilities.
Feb 13
“If I were to read the tea leaves,” said Lauren Morando Rhim, a co-founder and the executive director of the Center for Learner Equity, “I think that we’re going to see a huge decrease of staffing and simply reducing the function of the department.” Morando Rhim thinks that what Trump and Musk have done to U.S.A.I.D. could be a blueprint for their plans for the Department of Education. Read the article here.
Jan 27
CLE responds to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear the Oklahoma case on religious charter schools, standing with the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s June 25, 2024 decision that ruled religious charter schools unlawful.
Oct 08
CLE’s Analysis of the Civil Rights Data Collection The Center for Learner Equity is proud to release our sixth secondary analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC)’s January 2025 release, this time regarding the 2021-2022 school year. We have prepared two reports that offer an in-depth look at the experiences of students with disabilities in public charter schools and traditional public schools. Our analyses of CRDC data continue to reveal persistent disparities in enrollment, disciplinary practices, and access to college preparatory opportunities for students with disabilities. In our “Fast Facts” brief, we examine national trends in enrollment, placement, discipline, and postsecondary access for students with disabilities in both traditional and charter public schools. We also offer a separate brief on the topic of specialized charter schools, where we explore the growth and characteristics of charter schools that specialize in educating students with disabilities. CLE continues to urge elected officials and the U.S. Department of Education to protect and invest in the Civil Rights Data Collection. This data is critical to national transparency around protecting students' civil rights, informing inclusive policies, and ensuring all students with disabilities receive the opportunities and supports they deserve. Key Findings [...]
Oct 02
A recent District Administration “Talking Out of School” podcast explores how charter schools can improve support for students with disabilities, featuring insights from a two-year study by Lauren Morando Rhim, our Executive Director.
Aug 18
A recent District Administration “Talking Out of School” podcast explores how charter schools can improve support for students with disabilities, featuring insights from a two-year study by Lauren Morando Rhim, our Executive Director.
Aug 16
CLE’s executive director, Lauren Morando Rhim spoke with Vox about why many families are turning to homeschooling and microschools to better accommodate children with disabilities and learning differences.
Aug 15
CLE’s Senior Director of Strategy and Impact, Jennifer Coco, is quoted in the Axios New Orleans “New Orleans schools may centralize services for students with disabilities” article.
Aug 12
CLE’s Senior Director of Strategy and Impact, Jennifer Coco, is quoted in the “Charter school leaders support centralized approach to special education, report” from the New Orleans Public Radio.