Fierce advocates for the high academic achievement of all students — particularly those of color or living in poverty.
Equity-Driven • Data-Centered • Student-Focused
Debunking 5 Myths about Affirmative Action
Less than two years after the Supreme Court upheld the Fisher vs. University of Texas case on affirmative action, the Trump administration nevertheless continues to threaten race-based affirmative action, chipping away at education equity. The Department of Justice is currently investigating admissions practices at Harvard University, according to recent…
Tackling Gaps in Access to Strong Teachers
Of the many inequities in our education system, gaps in access to strong teaching have proven to be among the most stubborn. That’s not to say that there aren’t excellent teachers in our high-poverty schools — there absolutely are. But research shows an indisputable and wide-spread…
Classroom Assignments Matter. Here’s Why.
As a former classroom teacher, coach, and literacy specialist, I know the beginning of the school year demands that educators pay attention to a number of competing interests. Let me suggest one thing for teachers to focus on that, above all else, can close the student achievement gap: the rigor…
FY18 Appropriations: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly + What’s Next
Over the past two weeks in D.C., there has been a lot of action on the Hill on the appropriations front, the process by which the federal government is funded. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed what is known as the “Labor-H” bill, which includes funding for education, along…
Letter from 64 Higher Education Advocacy Organizations Calls on Congress to Pass the Dream Act
The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Paul Ryan Speaker U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Chuck Schumer Minority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives Washington…
Dear White People: We’ve Always Had Affirmative Action
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”—Gloria Steinem Dear White People, Days ago, I, like many of you, watched in horror the vile display of bigotry and hatred, violence and terror that unfolded in Charlottesville, violating the University of Virginia’s campus…
On Charlottesville: Race Matters, But Facts Do Too
Deadly protests this weekend by torch-carrying White nationalists at the University of Virginia and in the city of Charlottesville, Va., serve as a terrible reminder to us all just how much race matters in the United States. When angry crowds of White Americans shout, “You will not replace us…
Getting Students Over the AP Finish Line: Hear From Schools Already Doing It
In implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states are choosing how to measure and hold schools responsible for how well high school students are prepared for success after graduation. So far, more than half of the states that have submitted their ESSA plans to the U.S. Department of…
To OASIS Leaders in Memphis: ‘This Is Civil Rights Work’
“This is the story of a people, of hopes and dreams, of challenge and change. It is an American story. This story and struggle that started many centuries ago, continues today – with you.” — A Culture of Resistance exhibit, National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TN In today’s political climate…