We appreciate Colin doing this interview with Equal Opportunities for Students. He was interviewed for the Tell Your Story series.
One of the most important thinks Colin noted was the many achievement gaps we have across our public school system currently. Low income students systemically under-perform when compared to students who come from more affluent backgrounds. Black and Latino students systemically perform worse than their white counterparts. In many parts of the nation, women and girls aren’t given equal access or representation in advanced aspects of the curriculum.
These problems are amplified by educational discrimination. When a student or parent is not given a fair chance at education, it has a profound impact on the life-trajectory of that affected party. We collectively have to make sure we are helping students achieve as much as they can through the school system. Organizations like the Office for Civil Rights play a huge role in this, as they enforce the anti-discrimination laws we already have in place, to help ensure all students and parents are getting the education they need.
The Department of Education presides over the Office for Civil Rights, and ensuring OCR has everything it needs to successfully represent the interests of students and parents is one of its most important jobs.