Today, LDF led 21 other civil rights and education organizations in releasing a joint statement concerning equitable education during the COVID-19 pandemic school closures and beyond. The statement provides promising practices and recommendations to school administrators, teachers, parents, education and civil rights advocates, and policymakers and focuses on five areas requiring attention to ensure student success: distance learning and digital access, delivery of school meals, instruction for students with disabilities, instruction for students experiencing homelessness, and combatting discrimination based on race and national origin, including for English learners.
As the COVID-19 pandemic extended to the United States, federal, state, tribal, and local governments closed school buildings to prevent the spread of the novel virus. School closures have impacted 55 million K-12 students nationwide. Although school buildings are closed, education and support services have continued. We hope state and local educational agencies will adopt the promising examples and suggestions provided in the statement and join our commitment to ensuring that all students have the resources they need to succeed.
Read the full joint statement here.
Read a PDF version of the statement here.
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
