Civil Rights Complaint Lodged Against Florida’s Student Achievement Plan
From August 2013:
The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a federal civil rights complaint today alleging that the Florida Department of Education is discriminating against black and Hispanic students by adopting a plan that sets lower academic expectations for students of color.
The complaint, filed with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, describes how the plan “perpetuates stereotypes that certain individuals are less capable than others based on nothing other the color of their skin” - creating a “self-fulfilling prophecy” of lower achievement for an entire generation of students.
The complaint, announced at the National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention in Orlando, Fla., is being brought on behalf of the state’s black and Hispanic students. More than half of Florida’s 2.7 million public school students are black or Hispanic.
“The research is clear: Low expectations result in low achievement,” said Jerri Katzerman, SPLC deputy legal director. “By setting lower expectations for black and Hispanic students, Florida is telling these students that it is their skin color - not their hard work and perseverance - that will determine their success in school. This plan will only widen the achievement gap in Florida classrooms.”
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