Michigan

Concerns about the importance and need to mobilize Black and Latino voters in 2016 and future elections have reached a fever pitch. But in many states and cities there are counterproductive disenfranchisement actions being taken that disempower Black and Latino communities -- the takeover of their public schools. In this attack on democracy, governance by locally elected school boards is stripped away altogether. This dismantling of democracy in predominantly poor communities and communities of color is now underway, or being proposed, in several states. Denying these citizens' right to elect local school boards through state takeovers or mayoral control should sound the same alarm as denying them the vote because the impact of the action minimizes their democratic voice and vote.

Since 2010, the Education Law Center has published national report cards on how states are (or aren't) investing in their schools and students. "Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card" released Wednesday, paints a worrying picture. In most states, ELC has found that public funding for schools is both unfair and inequitable: that is, not only are schools not receiving the funds they need, the schools that need funding the most are the ones with the most dramatic shortfalls.

Across the country, students, parents, and educators are organizing to change their school districts’ zero tolerance policies – and they’re winning. At the 2014 Netroots Nation conference in Detroit last weekend, advocates and organizers discussed the victories and continuing challenges in the movement for school discipline reform.

Parents, students and teachers across the country are fighting for equitable school resources, community solutions and an end to mass school closures. If you like our infographics on school closures, don't miss this video from our grassroots ally Journey for Justice.

Mass school closures are the "shock doctrine" of the education world. But parents, students, teachers and communities are fighting back to ensure their public schools receive the investments and supports they need to succeed.

Months of protests by education and community organizers are unifying diverse factions across the nation in an effort to reverse education policy mandates and bolster public schools instead of punishing them and closing them down. The "Education Spring" has not gone unnoticed by people at the centers of policy, power and opinion in Washington.

Every revolution needs a declaration. Against a backdrop of surging grassroots discontent with how the nation's K-12 public schools are currently governed, a diverse coalition of leaders from across the country have joined in support of "An Education Declaration to Rebuild America."

The BUILD Initiative recently invited teams from eight states across the country to participate in a two-day “mock grant opportunity" focused on developing state-level plans to eliminate disparities in young children's access to health services. Ensuring all students are healthy and ready for school is a key part of closing the opportunity gap in education.