Array
Press Releases

Civil Rights Groups Unite Around Education

—
Jul 29, 2010

July 27, 2010—TNational Action Network, the NAACP, and the National Urban League reaffirmed their commitment to work cooperatively with the Obama Administration and Education Secretary Arne Duncan on positive efforts to reform education.  

There are broad areas of agreement, as well as areas where we are continuing our discussions. All of our discussions continue to yield positive efforts. President Obama and Secretary Duncan have demonstrated they share our overall goal of equal educational opportunity for all children, as well as our general concern that the current achievement gap and graduation gap is a crisis for the nation.

We stand by yesterday’s joint statement made with other civil rights and educational reform groups are looking forward to continuing to make progress in improving education for all children. 

The following statement was issued yesterday:

CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS MEET WITH DUNCAN, BARNES 
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 26, 2010) — A meeting today between Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, White House Domestic Policy Advisor Melody Barnes and the leaders of several leading civil rights groups regarding the administration’s education reform efforts has led to a deeper understanding and meaningful dialogue, the leaders said.

The leaders said the meeting clarified several issues of agreement with the Obama Administration, and broadened understanding among the parties. The Secretary and the leaders agreed to strengthen the ongoing dialogue, they said.  The discussions are centered around the leaders’ recommendations for reform that would guarantee equal educational opportunities for students in every community in the nation. The leaders said they look forward to Secretary Duncan’s presentation Wednesday at the National Urban League’s Centennial Conference, and President Obama’s speech on educational reform at the Conference on Thursday. 

The coalition of civil rights groups includes :