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.
In 2016, the federal government rescinded a 2014 disciplinary guidance package that had served as a much-needed resource to schools and districts across the country, a decision that CLE opposed.
It is now time for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to issue new comprehensive guidance that advances equity for all students, especially those with disabilities. Guidance should ensure districts and schools stop using harmful exclusionary practices, including suspensions, expulsions, and seclusions, in lieu of individualized supports and services that address and ameliorate the behavioral needs of students with disabilities.
This brief comes out of our examination of leadership pipeline programs and specifically with individual leaders who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving education for students with disabilities. In particular, it focuses on their motivations and how to use that information to create future leaders.
This brief, written as part of a collaboration with Pathways 2 Tomorrow, introduces what we propose are critical components of a strategic, city-based framework, along with details regarding how this multi-pronged approach can drive systemic and sustainable change that will lead to better access and outcomes for students with disabilities.
This brief comes out of our examination of leadership pipeline programs and collaboration with these programs to infuse inclusive mindsets and strong programs for students with disabilities into their training models. In particular, it focuses on our findings regarding how future charter school leaders are trained in pipeline programs, specifically on educating students with disabilities.
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.
