By Educ secretary announces civil rights initiatives for nation's schools
Montgomery, AL – - The Obama administration plans to toughen
civil rights enforcement in the nation's schools with a broad
review touching on everything from academics to discipline.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the initiative Monday
during a speech in Selma, where he helped commemorate the 45th
anniversary of a bloody confrontation between voting rights
demonstrators and law enforcement. He spoke from the bridge that
marchers had crossed when the attack took place in 1965.
Duncan said the Education Department's civil rights office
hasn't been as vigilant as needed over the last decade.
The agency will soon begin conducting reviews to determine
whether students have equal access to opportunities, including
college-prep classes. Duncan said it also will issue a series of
guidelines to public schools and colleges addressing issues of
fairness and equity.