Education
Starting with its role in filing Morgan v. Hennigan, Boston’s school desegregation case, Lawyers for Civil Rights has worked to protect the civil and educational rights of Massachusetts’ students. Today, our Education Project addresses a variety of educational matters in charter schools and traditional public schools.
The Education Project monitors key issues of educational equity in Boston and across the Commonwealth. These issues include student assignment, transportation, school closures, teacher diversity, and other factors considered by federal courts both today and in Boston’s school desegregation order. To address these matters, the Education Project engages in litigation, policy advocacy, and administrative advocacy, including filing complaints with the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The Education Project pays particular attention to school discipline – namely, the high rates of out-of-school punishments and school-based arrests in some charter schools and traditional public schools; and the disparate use of these practices on students of color and students with disabilities. In 2012, LCR supported the passage of a state law to curb the overuse of exclusionary punishments. Through filing civil rights complaints and engaging in public advocacy, the Education Project is working to see the law implemented faithfully and fairly.
View our comprehensive 2018 report, Unfinished Business, and here for our original 2015 report, Not Measuring Up: The State of School Discipline in Massachusetts.
View our groundbreaking toolkit for students, families, teachers, and community members who want to improve discipline in their schools.
News and Resources
Jan 30, 19
Community Forum on Exam Schools on Feb. 28 in RoxburyJan 03, 19
Condemning Trump Administration’s Assault On Anti-Discrimination ProtectionsDec 21, 18
Response to Anticipated Rollback of Federal Discipline PoliciesNov 20, 18
2018 Year-in-ReviewNov 16, 18
Congressional Resolution Honors Our AchievementsSep 27, 18
Report on DisciplineSep 07, 18
Symposium on the Future of Civil Rights (September 20, 2018)Jun 26, 18
Response to Boston Schools Superintendent ResignationJun 23, 18
Free Legal Clinic on July 16 in RoxburyJun 23, 18
Rights Groups Sue BPS for Student Information Shared with ICEApr 24, 18
Civil Rights Groups on Charter Cap Lawsuit Dismissal: Stop Pitting Schools Against Each OtherMar 29, 18
Boston Civil Rights and Educator Groups Call for Greater Teacher DiversityMar 12, 18
Why Are Boston Public Schools Students Being Arrested by ICE?Feb 27, 18
Expanding Client Intake and Community Outreach StaffFeb 08, 18
Black Teachers MatterJan 25, 18
Boston School Police Sharing Student Information With Federal AuthoritiesJan 11, 18
On MLK Day, Our 50-Year Quest for JusticeDec 23, 17
Joint Statement on Boston Public Schools’ Re-evaluation of Bell Times