Civil Rights
Read more about civil rights and schools, enforcement by the Education Department's office for civil rights, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, and more
How a Federal Office Investigates and Resolves Discrimination Complaints Against Schools
What is OCR, how do you file a complaint, and what relief can it offer for students or staff whose civil rights may have been violated?
Federal
Opinion
How the Biden Administration Can Restore Civil Rights in Ed. Policy
Reversing Trump administration cuts to civil rights protections should be a top priority for President-elect Joe Biden, write five researchers.
Federal
Schools Could See U-Turn on Civil Rights Under Biden
Activists expect to see renewed guidance, more active enforcement, and better data collection from the Ed. Department’s civil rights office.
Equity & Diversity
There's No Constitutional Right to Civics Education, a Federal Judge Reluctantly Concludes
The student plaintiffs plan to appeal the ruling, and other similarly themed lawsuits have prevailed on appeal.
Equity & Diversity
Despite Push, Few Schools Have Dropped Confederate Names
An Education Week analysis shows that 5 percent of the nation's Confederate-named schools have been renamed since June.
Assessment
How a Biden White House Could Diverge From Obama on K-12
There’s plenty of common ground, but on divisive issues like accountability and charters, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has signaled his own course.
Equity & Diversity
Many of America's Schools Aren't Fully Accessible for Students With Disabilities
In a new report, districts cite funding constraints as the main reason for not making their buildings accessible, a longstanding problem.
Education
Education Department Delays Civil Rights Data Collection, Citing COVID-19
The biennial Civil Rights Data Collection includes some of the most high-profile information the Education Department shares with the public, and it influences a variety of important activities.
Special Education
A Few Parents Have Sued Over Special Education During COVID-19. Will More Follow?
Districts could face a rising tide of special education-related lawsuits and complaints when schools resume, experts say, if they still cannot offer the services that students with disabilities missed out on for months.
Equity & Diversity
Top Education Civil Rights Official Who Oversaw Title IX Shift to Step Down
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kenneth L. Marcus worked on rules for how schools must respond to accusations of sexual assault and harassment, and changed how the office for civil rights handles complaints.
Equity & Diversity
What Republicans' Policing Bill Says About Education
Senate Republicans' police reform bill would create a federal commission to study racial disparities in education and a range of other areas.
Federal
Trump, Biden Both Have Backed School Police. Will Protests Make That a Campaign Issue?
Districts around the country are considering calls to remove police from schools. Will those calls become a campaign issue for President Trump and Vice President Biden, two men who've championed school resource officers?
Equity & Diversity
What Democrats' Policing Bill Says About School Resource Officers
The Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which Democrats unveiled Monday, would require the development of new standards for school resource officers and juvenile justice.
Equity & Diversity
Seventeen States, D.C. Sue DeVos Over Rule on Sexual Assault, Harassment in Schools
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia sued U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos over her rules on how schools should address sexual assault and harassment under Title IX.
Equity & Diversity
ACLU Sues DeVos Over Title IX Rules on Sexual Assault, Harassment Investigations
The ACLU sued to block parts of new rules that govern how K-12 schools, colleges, and universities must respond to reports of sexual assault and harassment under Title IX.
