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Supporting Educational Equity during COVID-19

As school leaders finalize continued learning plans, the Education Trust-Midwest has published key recommendations for how to promote instructional equity and preserve student well-being throughout this period of school closures for underserved communities. The educational stakes of the COVID-19 pandemic are especially high for students with disabilities, English learners and students experiencing homelessness. A focus on educational equity throughout planning and school closures will be essential for meeting the needs of vulnerable student groups.

Educational Equity & Coronavirus: Students with Disabilities   Educational Equity & Coronavirus: Focus on English Learners   Educational Equity & Coronavirus: Students with Disabilities

Access these and other resources to support students and families at edtru.st/COVID-19.

Last week, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that students have a fundamental right to a basic education, overturning a lower court decision in a case involving former Detroit Public School students.

“The recognition of a fundamental right is no small matter,” said the Majority. “Access to literacy is such a right. Its ubiquitous presence and evolution through our history has led the American people universally to expect it. And education–at least in the minimum form discussed here–is essential to nearly every interaction between a citizen and her government. Education has long been viewed as a great equalizer, giving all children a chance to meet or outperform society’s expectations, even when faced with substantial disparities in wealth and with past and ongoing racial inequality.”

The Education Trust-Midwest and Education Trust were proud to support the Detroit Public School students asserting that their right to a basic education was violated by the state of Michigan through our 2018 Amicus Brief.

Unless the decision is appealed by the State of Michigan to the U.S. Supreme Court, the former Detroit students now have the opportunity to demonstrate that they were denied their right to a basic education.

Tweet of the Week

@JohnBKing: Important victory for civil rights & education equity via 6th Circuit decision recognizing constitutional right to literacy. Proud ⁦ @EdTrust ⁩ & @EdTrustMidwest submitted amicus brief (https://midwest.edtrust.org/resource/literacy-amicus-brief/) in support of this crucial effort.