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NCSD members and other allies in the civil rights community are fighting to remove longstanding federal legislation that limits funding for student transportation and significantly hinders the effectiveness of school diversity plans. Read more about our efforts below and learn how you can help in this important work!
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NCSD Leads Challenge to Anti-Integration Appropriations Language
 Earlier this month members of the NCSD, joined by a wide coalition of other civil rights advocacy groups, sent letters to leaders in the Senate and the House
, urging the removal of language from the 2018 appropriations legislation that prohibits federal funding from being used to pay for the transportation of students participating in integration programs.
The appropriations language has been present since at least 1974, when racist, anti-integration backlash reached a fever pitch. These ugly relics of the past both undermine the updated Magnet Schools Assistance Program and stymie state innovation and local control of school improvement efforts under the Every Student Succeeds Act.
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Civil Rights Groups Respond to Department of Education's New Proposed Supplemental Priorities
Earlier this month NCSD and other civil rights organizations responded to the Department of Education's proposed priorities for competitive grant programs.
In a shift away from Obama-era policy, Secretary DeVos proposed the elimination of all school diversity priorities, and doubled down on emphasizing school choice, which has a shaky evidence base regarding student outcomes. Recent studies of school choice programs in Louisiana, Ohio and Washington, DC all indicate a negative impact on student achievement.
See a selection of letters from civil rights groups below.
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ERASE Racism Hosts Conference Highlighting Student Voices
ERASE Racism's Student Voices Campaign hosted a well-attended conference for Long Island students entitled
Long Island's Leaders of Tomorrow
on November 10th. The purpose of the conference was to convene students from across Long Island, to create a
racially and ethnically
diverse environment for students to learn
how issues related to race and racism shape the region where they live.
Small group discussions and interactive workshops prepared students to become social justice advocates and leaders. They practiced new skills, learned about student activism and gained self-confidence.
Students described the day as empowering, as they share
d
their experiences with peers from
16 different high schools
. For example,
here are a couple of quotes
from
students about their experience:
"
It [the conference] was empowering. The program gave me a lot of skills
[that]
I can carry out into the real world.
"
"
I learned a lot about different examples of racism that are relevant in our community today and it was empowering to come together and discuss ways to create equality in our community.
"
The enthusiastic students
were willing
to listen, learn, and spearhead change in their schools and communities. Almost all of the 67 students who attended signed up to join an ongoing task force working on public school education equity in our region.
The Student Voices Campaign is incredibly excited to continue its work with students in 2018!
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New from Teaching Tolerance
Teaching Tolerance recently launched a new set of materials designed to help educators teach about fake news, filter bubbles and media manipulation among other issues. The Digital Literacy Framework includes K-12 lessons and a PD module. Teaching Tolerance has also re-launched its Educator Grants; find more information on these grants here.
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Disrupting the
Reciprocal Relationship Between Housing and School Segregation
Philip Tegeler and Michael Hilton of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council recently published a book chapter that examines the
current laws, policies, and practices that mutually reinforce housing and school segregation. The chapter also presents some examples of how housing and school policy can work together to disrupt the cycle.
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Richard Rothstein Book Tour Continues
Richard Rothstein continues his tour for the new book Color of Law, which
uncovers a forgotten history of how racially explicit policies of federal, state, and local governments created the patterns of residential segregation that persist to this day. See tour destinations and dates below.
- December 6th, Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago, IL
- December 7th, 10:00AM, Oak Park Public Library, Oak Park, IL
- December 7th, 5:00PM, Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago, IL
- December 8th, The City Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
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New Campaign for Educational Equity Initiative
The Center for Educational Equity at Teachers College, Columbia University recently initiated a
major educational-rights-centered project on preparation for civic participation.
Over the next two years, CEE intends to implement a dynamic interrelated program of research, policy development, public engagement, advocacy, and legal action. Ultimately, we seek to ensure that all students receive a meaningful opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, experiences, and values, including the belief in their ability to effect change, that they need to be capable civic participants-and that all schools, particularly schools attended predominately by students in poverty and students of color, are equipped to provide resources, services, and supports to make this happen.
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In case you missed our email on Tuesday...
We at the NCSD could not pursue this important work without the generous support of school diversity champions like you! Please consider a donation to NCSD this giving season.
- NCSD Staff
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Southern Poverty Law Center: Policy Analyst
The Southern Poverty Law Center is seeking a Policy Analyst in the Southeast Region. This role includes in-depth research and writing, supporting a multi-year advocacy strategy
to advance the Children's Rights agenda, developing policy recommendations to stop the school to prison pipeline, reduce educational inequity, and provide children with access to necessary health services; and more. To see an in depth job description and apply,
click here
.
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Southern Poverty Law Center: Senior Supervising Attorney - AL
The Southern Poverty Law Center is seeking a Senior Supervising Attorney for their Alabama office. This role includes developing the vision and strategy for
children's rights work in Alabama, supervising a dedicated team and challenging the structural inequalities that send children into the school to prison pipeline, educate them in unjustly inadequate schools, and prevent them from accessing the services they need to flourish in their communities.
To learn more click here.
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Southern Poverty Law Center: Associate Legal Director
The Southern Poverty Law Center is seeking an Associate Legal Director. This role
will support and work collaboratively across multiple offices and legal practice groups. The ALD will streamline internal systems to ensure that the appropriate frameworks, tools, systems, and policies are in place, will review monthly budgets and reporting, will oversee talent strategy for fellowship, internship, and recruitment programs, and will partner with the Legal Director to research new opportunities for growth.
See the posting here
.
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Southern Poverty Law Center: Senior Supervising Attorney - FL
The Southern Poverty Law Center is seeking a Senior Supervising Attorney for their Florida office. This role includes developing the vision and strategy for
children's rights work in Alabama, supervising a dedicated team and challenging the structural inequalities that send children into the school to prison pipeline, educate them in unjustly inadequate schools, and prevent them from accessing the services they need to flourish in their communities.
To learn more click here.
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Upcoming Events of Interest
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National Coalition on School Diversity
c/o Poverty and Race Research Action Council
Website: school-diversity.org
Email: school-diversity@prrac.org
Mailing Address: 740 15th St. NW #300 Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-544-5066
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