Dear Education Advocates:
Welcome to the April 2014 edition of LEARN! We are excited to be back after a well-received relaunch of LEARN in March. April was a particularly noteworthy month in education: Indiana became the first state to withdraw from the Common Core State Standards and the Supreme Court upheld a ban on race-conscious admissions in Shuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action. These events call to mind the work of parents over 60 years ago who were determined to provide the best education for their children, as well as the hard work we must do to carry on their legacy today.
On March 5, 1945, Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez, successful tenant farmers in Westminster, California, filed a class action suit with four other Mexican American families against four Orange County school districts to require them to integrate their schools. Prior to this filing, Orange County schools segregated children according to race and ethnicity, accordingly assigning children to either “White” schools or “Mexican” schools. In doing so, these California school districts were following “separate but equal” provisions in place since the mid-1800s and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson. Attorneys for the 5,000 families affected by segregationist policies presented evidence that children of Mexican descent were educated in inferior classrooms, had access to substandard books, and were not given adequate language testing to justify separate learning accommodations. The case not only provided compelling evidence that the education of these children was not equal but also contended that the segregation of students based on national origin violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
In his ruling in Mendez v. Westminster, Judge McCormick agreed with the plaintiff and ordered the integration of Orange County schools, noting, “A paramount requisite in the American system of public education is social equality …the methods of segregation prevalent in the defendant school districts foster antagonisms in the children and suggest inferiority among them where none exists.” On appeal, the segregation of children of Mexican descent in California’s public schools was effectively dismantled on April 14, 1947, when the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 1946 ruling.
The legacy of Mendez is undeniable in legal challenges that followed, including 1948 and 1950 rulings by federal courts finding the segregation of Mexican American students in Texas and Arizona public schools, respectively, to be unconstitutional. But nowhere is its legacy more apparent than in Brown v. Board of Education, when Chief Justice Earl Warren, governor of California at the time of the Mendez ruling, delivered the unanimous opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954 to find that “in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place.”
In light of Indiana’s decision to withdraw from the Common Core State Standards, where 9% of school children are Hispanic and 41% of whom live in poverty, and the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold Michigan’s ban on race-conscious admissions by popular vote, it is clear that the path toward educational equality for Latinos remains blocked by ideology rather than open by action in the best interest of children. Therefore, I highlight this very important milestone in Latino educational history to remind us of the tremendous work done by parents and advocates who witnessed injustice and fought to change the status quo. Equally important, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, I call attention to our ongoing advocacy so we can give our children the same opportunity to receive a quality education that Mr. and Mrs. Mendez fought for so long ago.
Sincerely,
Leticia Bustillos
Director, Education Policy Project |
The 2013 NILSL Fellows Visit Capitol Hill
 The National Institute of Latino School Leaders (NILSL) is an NCLR initiative that supports reform-minded school leaders who work to bridge the gap between policy and practice. This year’s cohort consists of 13 NILSL fellows, leaders such as principals of charter schools and executive directors of community-based organizations from the NCLR Affiliate Network. NILSL fellows came to Washington, DC, on March 6 to conduct legislative visits with policymakers and communicate their unique perspectives on various policy positions. The fellows visited the offices of the following members of Congress and government officials:
- Senator Harkin (D–IA), Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)
- Senator Alexander (R–TN), Ranking Member, HELP Committee
- Senator Franken (D–MN), Member, HELP Committee
- Rep. Kline (R–MN), Chairman, House Education and the Workforce Committee
- Rep. Miller (D–CA), Ranking Member, House Education and the Workforce Committee
- Rep. Hinojosa (D–TX), Chairman, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Ranking Member, House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
- Gabriela Gomez, Assistant Secretary, Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs, U.S. Department of Education
The fellows shared well-received policy recommendations on dual enrollment and career readiness in higher education, student support services in K–12 education, and teacher and leader effectiveness with college and career-ready standards, among others.
The NILSL fellows published the following blog posts in response to their visits. Check them out!
2014 NCLR California Latino Policy Summit On April 22, NCLR held its 2014 California Latino Policy Summit in Sacramento, California, which was attended by over 100 participants from NCLR’s California Affiliate Network. The Policy Summit focused on advancing critical issues impacting Latino families, such as criminal justice policies, the landmark California Homeowner Bill of Rights, the Affordable Care Act, and implementation of the Common Core State Standards.
NCLR Webinar: The President’s Budget and Education Agenda, FY 2015
On April 10, NCLR organized a webinar highlighting President Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2015 budget request released in March. NCLR discussed specific proposals and identified trends in education spending that will impact Latino students, including continued emphasis on early childhood education, increased focus on underserved youth (i.e., My Brother’s Keeper Initiative), STEM education, digital learning, and personalized learning. The FY 2015 budget request, as proposed on March 4, 2014, generates $68.6 million in discretionary spending, which is a nearly 2% increase over FY 2014 spending levels.
For presentation materials, please email learn@nclr.org.
NCLR Speaks on Behalf of ELLs in Common Core Debate
 On April 8, Peggy McLeod, NCLR’s Deputy Vice President, Education and WorkforceDevelopment, spoke on a panel at the 2014 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Young Latinos Leaders Summit Series in Washington, DC. The panel, dubbed “What Does Common Core Mean for English Language Learners?,” was organized under the Secondary Education Graduate Summit session and attended by over 40 participants from various policy organizations.
The panel focused on practices to align the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with the educational needs of English language learners (ELLs). Peggy presented best practices used by the NCLR School Network, such as promoting greater parent engagement, and addressed strategies for the successful implementation of the CCSS through the alignment of the standards with the development of language skills. She also addressed the connection of college and career readiness and STEM courses with the NCLR Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success. |
House Moves Forward on Two Education Bills
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked up and passed two bipartisan bills:
- The “Strengthening Education through Research Act” (H.R. 4366), introduced by Rep. Rokita (R–IN) and Rep. McCarthy (D–NY), aims to improve student achievement by providing state and local agencies with quality data, timely research, and technical assistance through the reauthorization of the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA). The bill passed by a voice vote and is awaiting action by the full House.
- The “Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act” (H.R. 10), introduced by Rep. Kline (R–MN) and Rep. Miller (D–CA), makes changes to the federal Charter Schools Program, which include expanding successful charter school models, providing federal grants to support greater innovation and high-quality charter schools, and reaching out to specific student populations such as ELLs. The bill passed by a vote of 36–3. NCLR wrote a letter in support of the bill and believes it is an important step in advancing outcomes for the Latino community and across socioeconomic indicators.
House Passes Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Resolution
On April 10, the House of Representatives voted 219–205 to pass the fiscal year 2015 budget resolution, which was originally introduced by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R–WI). Twelve Republicans and all Democrats voted against the budget resolution. The budget resolution proposes no change to the individual caps on defense and nondefense discretionary spending for FY 2015 that were adopted as part of the Murray-Ryan budget bill at the end of 2013. However, for FY 2016 through FY 2024, the budget resolution calls for a reduction in the Budget Control Act caps for nondefense discretionary spending by $791 billion. This action would reduce nondefense discretionary spending by $308 billion over the 10-year period. The report accompanying the budget resolution recommends cuts and streamlining programs for job training, federal student aid, and K–12 programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, although these recommendations would require separate congressional action to become law. Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D–WA) has publicly stated her disappointment in the bill and how cuts made in the bill affect Pell Grants and other critical programs.
Senate Holds Hearing on Early Learning
 On April 10, the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing titled “Expanding Access to Quality Early Learning: the Strong Start for America’s Children Act.” The hearing discussed the extent to which the current early education system is fragmented and how early education funding is necessary. During the hearing, Chairman Harkin discussed features of the “Strong Start for America’s Children Act,” which will be marked up in May, and Ranking Member Lamar Alexander said he is developing a proposal that, like the Senate-passed Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), would allow more state and parent flexibility. Hear the webcast and read the testimonies for this House hearing.
Supreme Court Ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions
Key Points:
- Race-conscious admission decisions are still allowed for public institutions o
 f higher education.
- States can prohibit the use of race-conscious decisions in admissions policies.
- Potential impact: States may now consider ballot measures to prohibit race-conscious policies in higher education for the 2016 election cycle.
- Potential impact: Now that states can ban race-conscious admissions decisions, this will likely have a disproportionate impact on racial minorities from getting into highly selective colleges and universities.
In a 6–2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Michigan’s ban on race-conscious decisions in college admissions in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action. The voter-approved ban effectively changed Michigan’s constitution to forbid public institutions from considering race in admission decisions. So while race-conscious decisions are still allowable, the Court says that states can prohibit them through constitutional amendments or state legislative action. In doing so, voter-elected boards and trustees are no longer entrusted to make decisions concerning the diversity of their college campuses and must instead look to other race-neutral policies to ensure diversity. The Court noted in its opinion that “this case is not about the constitutionality, or the merits, of race-conscious admissions policies in higher education …[but] whether and in what manner, voters in the states may choose to prohibit the consideration of such racial preferences.”
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- However, in a strongly worded dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, questioned the need for Michigan’s voter-approved constitutional amendment, noting that there already existed provisions to challenge unpopular policy decisions, such as race-conscious admissions. She noted in her dissent, “The political process cannot be restructured in a manner that makes it more difficult for a traditionally excluded group to work through the existing process to seek beneficial policies.” This ruling raises vital questions about diversity in public colleges and universities and the potential for even more bans on race-conscious decision-making. In ignoring the fundamental question of race and the impact of legislation that aims to be race-neutral, Justice Sotomayor comments, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination. As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society.” For more information, read NCLR’s blog post on the case.
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NCLR Common Core Campaign
 In May, NCLR will host a series of webinars to highlight the implementation of the CCSS in Arizona, California, Colorado, and New York. The webinars will focus on state-specific issues and emphasize the impact of the CCSS on Latino children and ELLs. More information will follow in the coming weeks.
NCLR, in partnership with the Center for Academic Progress, will host “A Guide to the Common Core: State Strategies,” which presents an opportunity to discuss how the Common Core will affect students and teachers in Colorado public schools and explore the key issues and concerns at play in Colorado to forge a path forward.
The 2014 NCLR California Latino Policy Summit on April 22 featured a workshop on the CCSS. This meeting brought together NCLR Affiliates representing schools and other community-based organizations to discuss implementation and expected impact on schools, students, and families. The event featured an overview of the CCSS and a panel of experts from across the state to address questions and concerns. The panel included Ricardo Mireles, Executive Director, Academia Avance; Marisol Reruch, Principal, MAAC Community Charter School; and Jan Gustafson-Corea, CEO, California Association for Bilingual Education. |
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