NAACP Calls for Equity in Public Education

WHEREAS, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education was a call for equity in public education; and

WHEREAS, forty-seven years after the Brown decision, African American students are more likely than white students to attend racially segregated public schools; more likely to be taught in schools with fewer resources, inadequate facilities, and uncertified teachers more likely than white students to be placed in special education classes, suspended or expelled; to drop-out and are under-represented in gifted and talented and advanced placement (AP) courses; and

WHEREAS, all NAACP education committees serve as partners in public education and conduits for rekindling the fire for excellence in education across the nation; and

WHEREAS, by September 2001, all NAACP units are asked to appoint a chair and a vice-chair of their education committee and to report the names of these individuals to the NAACP Education Department; that by September 2001, all branches, education and political action committees are being asked to make arrangements for an NAACP representative to be present at each local school board meeting; and

WHEREAS, all NAACP State Conference Education Committees working in conjunction with its Political Action Committee to create synergy, shall support and advocate for effective state educational programs; and

WHEREAS, there is presently no entity effectively requiring federal and state legislatures and school boards to ensure that students have available to them the necessary and equitable resources in order to hold them accountable in the classroom; and

WHEREAS, the objective of the NAACP's education advocacy agenda is to prevent racial discrimination in education programs and services by promoting an equal education opportunity agenda; now

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that all NAACP State Conference Education Committees in conjunction with its political action committees develop legislative or political empowerment initiatives to ensure education as a fundamental right in their respective states; that the NAACP National Education Department in conjunction with the Washington Bureau, Office of the General Counsel and Department of Branch and Field Services shall support and advocate for federal legislation and laws to ensure education as a fundamental right in America and support and advocate for full funding of effective federal education programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that as part of the 2001 National Day of Education, on November 16, 2001, the education committees of all units shall present to the appropriate education entity in its their respective jurisdiction, a "Call for Action" requesting the development of a specific equity plan by March 2002 to ensure equity and to close the achievement gap in the American educational system. Each NAACP department or unit shall report to the appropriate education entity as follows: The National Education Department shall report to the U.S. President and Secretary of Education; the State Conference Education Committee shall report to the Governor and State Superintendent; the Branch Education Committee shall report to the School Board and Superintendent and the College Chapter Education Committee shall report to the Board of Trustees and President. The College Chapter "Call to Action" shall address issues related to minority recruitment, retention and graduation. All NAACP Youth Councils shall present to its state legislative and local school boards for passage, a "Student Education Bill of Rights." The progress of the submitted equity plan shall be re-evaluated by the education committee and political action committee on each National Day of Education.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the following tasks be completed:

• That by September 2002, all branch education committees shall make quarterly arrangements to enter its local schools to perform "site visits" observing and monitoring the resources and quality of education provided to the students;
• That by August 2002, each State Conference Education Committee shall initiate a scheduled meeting of all education chairpersons in their respective States;
• That by January 2003, Education Committees of all NAACP units shall implement an "Education Equity Report Card" designed by the NAACP Education Department and Education Committee of the Board of Directors; and
• That by March 2003, all data collected from the implementation of the State, County, College/University Education Equity Report Cards should be forwarded to the NAACP Education Department.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that by May 2004, during the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the National Education Department shall use the aforementioned data to produce a report on the "State of Education for Black Students in America."