CONYERS, Scott Statement on New Civil Rights Data from Department of Education

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) unveiled new data from the 2013-2014 school year showing gaps that remain in educational equity and opportunity for students. Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) released the following statement on the release of the new data by OCR:

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

“The report released today from the Department of Education is a disturbing reminder of what too many families already know, and what was confirmed in the report from the General Accountability Office (GAO) we unveiled last month.  Our nation’s increasingly diverse student population is too often hyper-segregated in K-12 public schools and, sadly, educational opportunity is not available to all students of color on equal terms. This new data, and GAO’s study, are a call to action.

“That is why we introduced H.R.5260, the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act. The bill would amend Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to allow individuals to bring suits against school districts that implement practices and policies that have disparate impact based on race, color or nationality. We must honor our obligation to fulfil the promise of Brown v. Board of Education and seize the opportunity presented by the Every Student Succeeds Act to take meaningful and deliberate action – supported by the Federal government – to level the playing field in public K-12 schools.”

REPORT:    2013-14 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC)

The Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act (EIEA): Restoring Private Right of Action to Disparate Impact Clai... by Beverly Tran

Fact Sheet - GAO School Segregation Report

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©