Civil and Human Rights Coalition Responds to Bipartisan Senate Education Bill Proposal

WASHINGTON –Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president and director of policy at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray proposed a bipartisan Senate reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA):

“We applaud the bipartisan effort that went into crafting this legislation and we’re pleased that it seems to take into account many of our concerns. However, we know that accountability is weak for vulnerable students and that there are still many questions left to be answered on preserving the federal role, equitable distribution of resources, and data collection and reporting for vulnerable students. The devil is in the details and there is still a lot of review left to be done. But this is an encouraging step and we will continue to work to make this bill better for our communities in the mark-up and on the Senate floor.”

Nancy Zirkin is the executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference, visit www.civilrights.org.

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