Title: Education Department Civil Rights Officials Urged to Work Through
‘Tough Times Ahead’
By: Emma Brown
December, 8, 2016
Washington Post-Ed
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/12/08/education-department-civil-rights-officials-urged-to-work-through-tough-times-ahead/?utm_term=.7edb2c095d35
Key Points: With Donald Trump as the president-elect,
there is concern about there being “tough times ahead” for the Office for Civil
Rights (OCR). Trump could revise or reverse
key guidance documents, and his administration could heavily influence the OCR’s
budget, making it difficult for them to keep up with cases. The Education Secretary John B. King Jr. said,
“there are too many students of color who feel afraid in school. We have an obligation, all of us, to redouble
our efforts to intensify our work to ensure we protect the civil rights of all
students.” These efforts call for
confronting these issues. Complaints received
by OCR have more than doubled from 2009 to this year, and staff complaints have
fallen. The work that OCR does is critical,
and when the facts of troubling cases are revealed, there needs to be more
action taken and support of OCR, so justice can be delivered.
Audience: educators, parents, administrators, district
officials, community members
Relevance: The article points out a few cases where
students were not served. This is just a
glimpse into the many cases that have not been dealt with which is a huge
issue. It is important that OCR is
supported, and those invested in the lives of students recognize the reality
that could unfold with the Trump administration being in power. The civil rights of all students must be
protected. Essentially, students need to
be seen, heard, valued, respected, and treated with dignity.
Amy, I understand there is a great deal of apprehension with President-Elect Trump in regards to Civil Rights and the education system. I think what I liked most about your post, however, was your last comment: “Essentially, students need to be seen, heard, valued, respected, and treated with dignity.” I think this is the key. As educators, we need to focus on the students and help them learn. It is up to each of us individually to make sure we take care of our students, both in our classroom and throughout the school. Teach by example and treat everyone with dignity and respect.
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