It's a noble thought that, in practice, is a disaster for those groups. I know I sound like a broken record, but please, someone, anyone, show me the data that demonstrates the closing of those gaps. Show me how tests given to students who have NEVER seen the material on the tests demonstrate anything worthwhile. Anything! Please.
I recognize the place from which these civil and disability rights groups argue. That pre-ESEA, or IDEA, the people they represent were left out. Districts we not obliged to educate them. I'd like to think that in 2015 the thought of not educating someone in this country is utterly abhorrent. There are better ways to demonstrate growth, progress, achievement, rather than issuing poorly designed standardized tests and narrowing curriculum for the sole purpose of taking those tests. I don't care where you live in the US, that's exactly what's happened -- all in the name of "college and career ready," a term that no one has bothered to define, but, heck, it sure sounds good.
The other day, Steven Singer noted on his blog that many of the civil rights groups had been asking for relief from standardized testing as late as last October. Now they want it. Politics and money are tricky, I guess.
Once again, I've been obliged to go poking through the Gates, Broad, and Walton Foundations' websites and 990's looking for grants provided to the groups that signed on to not one, but two, press releases from The Leadership Conference in the last week. There were a couple of new faces on these two lists.
I have written about the money here, here, and here. The money from just these three foundations is staggering.
Here is the list from the 14th July 2105 Leadership Conference advocacy letter to the US Senate.
|
|
Gates
|
Walton
|
Broad
|
|
The
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
|
$2,930,868
|
----
|
----
|
|
Alliance
for Education Excellence
|
$17,740,140
|
----
|
-----
|
|
American
Association of University Women
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Association
of University Centers on Disabilities
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Center
for American Progress
|
$6,448,809
|
$200,000
|
$771,676
|
|
Children’s
Defense Fund
|
$433,178
|
----
|
$4,000
|
|
Council
of Parent Attorneys & Advocates
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Democrats
for Education Reform
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Disability
Rights Education and Defense Fund
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Easter
Seals
|
$384,747
|
----
|
----
|
|
Judge
David L. Brazelon Center for Mental Health Law
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Lawyers’
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
League
of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
|
$943,687
|
----
|
----
|
|
Mexican
American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)
|
$1,325,077
|
----
|
----
|
|
NAACP
|
$2,456,106
|
----
|
----
|
|
NAACP
Legal Defense and Education Fund
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Center for Learning Disabilities
|
$124,315
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Center for Special Education in Charter Schools
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Center on Time & Learning
|
$1,311,003
|
----
|
$1,571,500
|
|
National
Council on La Raza (NCLR)
|
$33,331,260
|
$2,419,330
|
----
|
|
National
Disabilities Rights Network
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Down Syndrome Congress
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Indian Education Association
|
$1,944,230
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Urban League
|
$5,156,017
|
$40,000
|
----
|
|
National
Women’s Law Center
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
New
Leaders
|
$20,718,314
|
$1,800,000
|
$2,653,000
|
|
PolicyLink
|
$1,882,828
|
----
|
----
|
|
Southeast
Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
|
$1,680,105
|
----
|
----
|
|
Southern
Education Foundation
|
$500,056
|
----
|
----
|
|
Southern
Poverty Law Center
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Stand
for Children
|
$13,449,716
|
$3,136,134
|
----
|
|
Teach
for America
|
$12,405,267
|
$77,109,586
|
$20,855,440
|
|
Teach
Plus
|
$17,094,388
|
$250,000
|
----
|
|
The
Education Trust
|
$15,291,817
|
$1,283,000
|
$582,785
|
|
The
New Teacher Project (TNTP)
|
$23,000,280
|
12,191,239
|
----
|
|
UNCF
|
$1,587,347,363
|
$3,535,030
|
----
|
|
Total
|
$1,767,899,571
|
$101,964,319
|
$26,438,401
|
Here is the list from the 16th July 2015 Leadership Conference other advocacy letter to the US Senate.
|
|
Gates
|
Walton
|
Broad
|
|
The
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
|
$2,930,868
|
----
|
----
|
|
Alliance
for Education Excellence
|
$17,740,140
|
----
|
-----
|
|
Association
of University Centers on Disabilities
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Children’s
Defense Fund
|
$433,178
|
----
|
4,000
|
|
Council
of Parent Attorneys & Advocates
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Disability
Rights Education and Defense Fund
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Judge
David L. Brazelon Center for Mental Health Law
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
Lawyers’
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
League
of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
|
$943,687
|
----
|
----
|
|
Mexican
American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)
|
$1,325,077
|
----
|
----
|
|
NAACP
|
$2,456,106
|
----
|
----
|
|
NAACP
Legal Defense and Education Fund
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Center for Special Education in Charter Schools
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Disabilities Rights Network
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Down Syndrome Congress
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
National
Urban League
|
$5,156,017
|
$40,000
|
----
|
|
Southeast
Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
|
$1,680,105
|
----
|
----
|
|
Southern
Education Foundation
|
$500,056
|
----
|
----
|
|
Southern
Poverty Law Center
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
TASH
|
----
|
----
|
----
|
|
The
New Teacher Project (TNTP)
|
$23,000,280
|
12,191,239
|
----
|
|
Total
|
$56,165,332
|
$12,231,239
|
$4,000
|