More progress on school integration: The Department of Education capped a series of recent announcements on school integration with a notice of funding availability for the “Investing in Integration” competitive grants program that prioritizes proposals that promote racial and economic integration. Along with our colleagues in the school diversity coalition, we have been pressing for this change for the past several years, and this is yet another indication that Secretary King is serious about expanding federal support for school diversity. We continue to press the point with the Department, in comments with the National Coalition on School Diversity supporting school diversity as a School Turnaround Strategy, and a letter urging the department not to consolidate and reduce the mission of the regional “Equity Assistance Centers,” which are charged with assisting states and local districts in implementing school integration plans.
Housing mobility proposal in Congress: We recently submitted letters to the Congressional appropriations committees on behalf of a large number of civil rights and fair housing groups supporting the President’s proposal for $15 million in the 2017 HUD budget to support a housing mobility demonstration. See our letters here and here to the House and Senate. We also recently weighed in on inadequate voucher payment standards in Westchester County.
Meet us in St. Louis: we are looking forward to an interesting set of meetings next week bringing together housing and school leaders to discuss the potential for greater integration efforts in the region. Although St. Louis has one of the largest and most successful city-to-suburb school integration programs in the county, the region continues to be held back by high levels of segregation. Next week’s conference is hosted by the City Garden Montessori School (see this recent article in Poverty & Race), and if you are in the area please consider joining us next Thursday evening – register here.
U.S. Civil Rights Commission Hearing on school funding and segregation: We will be participating in this public briefing coinciding with the release of a new USCRC report – for more information see this press advisory.
May 12th book launch: There’s still room to come hear Stefanie DeLuca’s book talk introduce a Coming of Age in the Other America, based on years of in-depth personal interviews with young people in Baltimore. Coauthored with Susan Clampet-Lundquist and Kathryn Edin. The book talk will be at 1200 18th St. NW, near Dupont Circle, co-sponsored by the Century Foundation and CLASP. Join us at 4:30 pm for light refreshments; talk begins at 5:00 pm. Register here.
