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1 Protect Civil Rights as the foundation of a viable, healthy democracy, framed in the Declaration of Independence, guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution and codified by civil rights legislation. Imagine > But Currently > What must be done > What we can do together

What must be done:

Information is power. So first, there must be general awareness in education regarding the laws for civil rights for educators, administrators, and all school personnel as well as parents and community in all sectors. Beyond the letter of the law, we also must understand and embrace the spirit of the law. With Brown and Mendez, the spirit of the law indicates that no child should be separated or segregated because of his or her identifying characteristics. That same philosophy must exist in policies and practices in schools as they seek to educate all children to their highest potential. There must also be ongoing monitoring of what is occurring and how various students are faring regarding policies, practices in all programs.

Second, we must monitor how these policies are impacting students.

Third, there need to be corrective strategies in place to mitigate the negative impact that policies and practices may be having on children. We must act with integrity to align policies and practices in order to go beyond the letter of the law, not merely to comply, but to embrace the spirit of the law that seeks to nurture and elevate all learners to their highest level of excellence.