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Politico: No permission slips to fail
Opinion Contributor
By: Janet Murguia & Marc Morial
For all the outcry about the need for more “adult conversation” during Washington’s heated debt-ceiling debate, the next seat at the negotiating table should go to someone who can speak for the millions of students grossly underserved by our public schools. So far, Washington has given states and districts a permission slip to fail our children.
More than 1 million students drop out of high schools each year. The graduation rate for students of color hovers near 50 percent. Yet Congress and the Obama administration have waived away, flexed away and ignored the needs of a majority of our children — including too many students of color, Native Americans and those from low-income communities.
In response to Congress’s failure to reauthorize the education act, the White House is now talking about allowing states to waive basic accountability measures required under the law.
Janet Murguia is president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza.
Marc Morial is president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League.
