Civil and Human Rights Coalition Responds to Senate Education Bill Mark-Up

WASHINGTON –Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president and director of policy at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee finished its mark-up of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA):

“We applaud the efforts of those senators who spoke up on behalf of vulnerable children during this process and worked to advance amendments that will fix this inadequate bill.

As it stands, this proposal rolls back accountability for educating vulnerable students. It does not require enough data reporting to understand how all of the communities we represent are faring; it does not ensure the equitable distribution of educational resources; and it excessively limits the authority of the Secretary of Education. A reauthorization that is weaker than current law and leaves students of color, students with disabilities, English-language learners, and low-income students without the protections they need is simply unacceptable.

We refuse to stand by and watch the fragile progress we’ve made in holding schools accountable for educating vulnerable students wither away. If this bill is not fixed on the Senate floor, we could be forced to oppose it.” 

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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