Advocacy to Promote Use of Open Education Resources

WHEREAS, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) advocates equity for minority groups and all citizens and views education as a means to obtaining success in personal and professional lives as well as becoming productive and contributing members of society; and 

WHEREAS, the NAACP recognizes that African Americans and other minorities often do not have sufficient access to such appropriate academic materials to make attainment of rigorous standards possible; and

WHEREAS, all students should be afforded college and career readiness by completion of high school and meeting rigorous educational standards; and

WHEREAS, the quality of educational opportunities corresponds to availability of quality of resources; and

WHEREAS, education costs related to curriculum development, including textbooks and other instructional and learning materials, may place an inordinate financial burden on many minority and other communities; and

WHEREAS, throughout the nation, economic disparities within and between communities contribute to funding disparities between school districts and schools; and

WHEREAS, many school districts are not financially able to obtain high quality curricular, instruction, and supplemental materials; and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocates that all state and local educational agencies be encouraged to acquire, use, and share open license curriculum and other Open Educational Resources (OER); and 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocates that state educational agencies provide appropriate assistance to their respective local school districts related to distribution, organization, and standards alignment of relevant OER materials.