Obama's Educrats Issue 'Racial Equity' Edict To Schools
Posted 11/17/2014
Education: Just as school boards across the country scramble to meet new federal limits for punishing black students, Obama's educrats now want them to hit racial quotas for academic performance, too.
Last month, slipping almost everybody's notice, the Education Department's office for civil rights issued a guidance letter to 14,000 local school districts that expands "racial equity" beyond school discipline into virtually every aspect of public education.
Breathtaking in its scope, the 37-page edict warns school boards that they have to reach the same equity, based on "disparate impact" statistics, in:
1) advanced placement courses;
2) gifted and talented programs;
3) distribution of funds;
4) school facilities;
5) technology; and,
6) teacher talent, experience and diversity.
Those who don't get their numbers right risk forfeiting federal funding and being investigated for discrimination. It doesn't matter if school policies provide black students equal access to fast-track programs and resources. Or if standards are color-blind.
If disproportionate numbers of African-Americans don't avail themselves of those policies, schools can expect a visit from Obama's diversity cops.
"School districts that receive federal funds must not implement facially neutral policies that have the unjustified effect of discriminating against students on the basis of race," warned Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant education secretary for civil rights.
"In assessing the allocation of educational resources, OCR (Office of Civil Rights) will investigate and analyze the evidence found under both theories of discrimination — intentional discrimination and disparate impact — to ensure that students are not subjected to unlawful discrimination."
From now on, racial imbalances in "advanced placement and international baccalaureate courses, gifted and talent programs" and other honors programs will be flagged by Obama's racial bean counters. If your school has "too many" whites and Asians and "too few" blacks in those programs, you might want to lawyer up.
"Students of color are less likely than their white peers to be enrolled in those courses and programs," Lhamon says, adding that "such disparities may be indicative of broader discriminatory policies or practices that, even if facially neutral, disadvantage students of color.
"OCR would expect these resources to be equitably provided," she warns; and in determining "adverse impact" on African-Americans, "OCR may consider ... student achievement outcomes."
Of course, most boards will not want to fight Washington and risk losing subsidies. So they'll more than likely work to get their numbers right — even if it means lowering entrance standards and curving test scores.
Liability does not end there. The Obama regime also sees as racist disparities in the quality of facilities, resources and teachers.
"OCR may consider the distribution of inexperienced teachers across the district as part of its overall evaluation of potential discrimination in access to strong teaching," Lhamon also warned, claiming that black students tend to be taught by "inexperienced, unqualified or out-of-field teachers."
It blames these allegedly discriminatory disparities for lower black graduation rates.
OCR is collecting reams of data to compile a massive discrimination database. School districts that show statistical disparities by race will be aggressively investigated under the administration's unconstitutional disparate impact theory and "be expected to put in place a clear plan for remedying the inequality in a timely fashion."
Meanwhile, all districts, in a not-so-veiled threat, are urged to "proactively assess their policies." State school boards are also on notice. "State education officials should examine policies and practices for resource allocation among districts to ensure that differences among districts do not have the unjustified effect of discriminating on the basis of race," Lhamon warned.
In effect, activist federal bureaucrats are micromanaging all local school decisions now, with the goal of massive redistribution of resources and outcomes.
The best way to ensure underprivileged kids have access to quality education is to give their parents better options through school choice facilitated by education vouchers. But Democrats and their school union donors fight such common-sense solutions and opt for race-baiting instead.
The incoming GOP majority in Congress ought to demand the administration rescind its draconian new school policy guidance.
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