Lauren Morando Rhim, co-founder and executive director of the Center for Learner Equity (“the Center”) endorses Valerie Williams as Director of the Office of Special Education.
CLE applauds Federal District Court Judge Yeakel’s ruling striking down Texas’ Executive Order prohibiting mask mandates in schools. We are thrilled that these Texas students will now be able to safely access their education, and we hope this court decision is a wake-up call to the other states that have implemented similar discriminatory prohibitions.
As Congress and the White House work to finalize the Build Back Better Act, CLE applauds them for considering the needs of students with disabilities. We strongly them to maintain language in the bill to ensure that the civil rights of these students are protected.
In response to state mandates prohibiting local school districts from implementing mask requirements in public K-12 schools, The Center for Learner Equity calls upon state leaders to reverse those decisions and allow districts and local authorities to implement policies that will afford safer, equal access to school for all students, including those with disabilities.
The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) is thrilled with Secretary Cardona’s announcement today that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will collect data via the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) from all public school districts and their schools, two years in a row, for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years.
We applaud President Biden and Congress for their rapid introduction and passage of the historic American Rescue Plan, which, among other things, directs much-needed funding to schools to help them meet the challenges of COVID-19.
The Center is strongly opposed to Tennessee’s Teacher Discipline Act, which is currently moving through the state House.
On February 15, 2021, the Center submitted a letter to West Virginia State Senator and Chair of the Education Committee Patricia Rucker regarding our concerns about proposed legislation, HB2012, that would allow charter schools in the state to discriminate against students with disabilities.
The Center fully supports the Keep Our Promise to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act, which sets forth a plan to fully fund Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The Center for Learner Equity is outraged about Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene’s assignment to the House Education and Labor Committee.