Left Behind, Yet Again

Eight civil rights organizations including the NAACP have released a letter stating that the U.S. Department of Education is promoting ineffective approaches for failing schools, the Associated Press reports. In the view of the signatories, the $4.35 billion Race to the Top competition leaves out many minority students. Citing federal data, the groups find just three percent of the nation's black students and less than one percent of Latino students are impacted by round one of the Race to the Top, which awarded $500 million and $100 million to Tennessee and Delaware respectively for undertaking reforms. The letter also proposes standards for equal access to early childhood education, effective teachers, a college preparatory curriculum, and quality resources, and takes a critical view of the administration's approach to turning around failing schools. One notable absence in the roster of groups signing on is any Hispanic organization. Raul Gonzalez from the National Council of La Raza said his group decided not to endorse the letter over concerns about how the signatories see charter schools. According to Gonzalez, the signatories want charters to focus more on attracting diversity than on needs of children in their community.