Take action: RSVP here to participate in a national call on Wednesday, October 26, at 2 p.m. ET on how you can take timely action with the U.S. Department of Education in support of equity in education and fair funding for high poverty schools by November 7.

Background

Almost one year ago, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law, updating the nation’s most important K-12 education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. ESEA was developed in response to the demands of communities during the civil rights movement that more be done by the federal government to address poverty and limited educational opportunity for people of color.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and our coalition members and allies have been working to inform parents and community stakeholders about the requirements of this new law so that they are better able to demand the education all children deserve. As part of the new law, the U.S. Department of Education has proposed to clarify the issue of funding equity within school districts through the “supplement, not supplant” rule.

Why does this Matter?

We need to know how dollars are actually being spent and we need to know that higher poverty schools are getting at least as much actual funding as are lower poverty schools. For too long, school district decisions around the funding issue have had a negative impact on low-income students who are disproportionately African American, Latino, Asian American, and Native American, or speak English as a second language.

The Department of Education is requesting comments on its proposed “supplement, not supplant” rule. On our national call we will provide background on the issue and talk about ways you can take action to support fair funding for high-poverty schools before the comment period ends November 7. 

Take action: RSVP here to participate in a national call on Wednesday, October 26, at 2 p.m. ET on how you can take timely action with the U.S. Department for Education in support of equity in education and fair funding for high poverty schools before November 7.