May 17 marked the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, a landmark decision by the Supreme Court that ended racial segregation in public schools and “separate but equal” as the law of the land. Codifying desegregation marked a turning point in our nation’s history, and signaled the role… Read More
This piece originally appeared on Medium. Last week, Stacey Abrams’ response to the president’s State of the Union address brilliantly laid out not just a sharp rebuttal of Donald Trump’s agenda of bigotry and division, but a powerful proactive vision of what America could… Read More
People For the American Way has reaffirmed its commitment to the highest quality public education for all students. Public education is also a key policy area for PFAW's African American Religious Affairs program, working in conjunction with PFAW Foundation. Read More
Following troubling moves on sexual violence, student loans, and transgender students' civil rights—just to name a few—reports suggest that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has set her sights on school discipline and special education. People For the American Way and PFAW's African American Ministers In Action joined allied organizations to hold Secretary DeVos accountable on racial justice for all students. Read More
Several proposed provisions violate the core principle that religious freedom guarantees us all the right to believe (or not) as we see fit—not the right to discriminate against or harm others. Read More
Call your senators now using this number (888-623-4558) and tell them that we cannot leave public education in the hands of Betsy DeVos. Read More
In the wake of National School Choice Week, the Brookings Institution released a report card on the largest school districts, which were ranked according to how open the districts are to school choice. That reflects a common assertion among education “reformers” that maximizing choice will always be best… Read More
In a Republican presidential field crowded with far-right candidates, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is trying to distinguish himself as the far-rightest candidate, especially on issues relating to marriage equality and its supposed threat to the religious freedom of conservative Christians. Jindal’s latest came at the end of the day on Tuesday. Unwilling to accept… Read More
Far too many students have become targets of bullying and harassment based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Their pleas to teachers, principals, and university administrators for help — if they are brave enough to make them in the first place — too often go unanswered. They cannot access… Read More
I wish politicians and pundits who make a habit of railing against teachers and public schools had spent some time at the conference put on by the Network for Public Education (NPE) last weekend. The organization’s first national conference brought together about 400 teachers, scholars, education bloggers, and activists… Read More
In October and December of 2010, the Department of Education took a stand for LGBT youth by issuing guidance to address bullying in schools, especially as it relates to federal education anti-discrimination laws. One of those laws, Title IX of the Education Amendments of… Read More
Even though Florida’s initial experiment with school vouchers was ridden with cases of fraud and profiteering, Governor-Elect Rick Scott plans to drastically expand the voucher program and put the state’s public schools in his crosshairs. While a recent state-commissioned study found that “students using… Read More
The U.S. Department of Education used taxpayer dollars to fund a “video news release” designed to look like a television news report touting the benefits of the No Child Left Behind law, according to materials obtained by People For the American Way Foundation through a Freedom of Information Act request. Read More
A comprehensive report released today by People For the American Way explores mismanagement and failed policies in Florida’s education system under Governor Jeb Bush and Education Commissioner Jim Horne. The report, “Dereliction of Duty: Florida’s Failed Education Policy,” is an accounting and analysis of how Florida’s policies on vouchers, tuition tax credits, homeschooling, high stakes testing, class size reduction and even the management of the state’s pension fund have done a disservice to students, parents and taxpayers. Read More
Voucher backers' claimed interest in public education betrayed by PFAWF report "Competition from vouchers will improve public schools," they say. But do they mean it? Because Americans view public education as a mighty national asset, voucher backers have inserted pro-public schools rhetoric into their spiel. But look beneath the surface and the agenda is crystal clear: privatization of American education. Read More
A review of 17 significant votes since Sen. Bill Frist joined the Senate in 1995 demonstrates that the possible replacements for Sen. Trent Lott have very similar voting records on a range of issues, including civil rights, affirmative action, hate crimes legislation, reproductive choice, private school vouchers, economic opportunity, and judicial nominations. Read More
In a memorandum to Wisconsin press, PFAW offers insights on education proposals dealing with class size issues and private-school vouchers. Read More
For decades, there has been an ongoing debate in the United States regarding how public schools can best teach about the origins and development of human beings. Teaching scientific theories on this topic without challenging the religious beliefs of many Americans is no simple task. Recently, this debate has intensified… Read More
Nominee’s record both before and after becoming a federal judge has generated widespread opposition to his elevation to U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit Read More
I. Introduction Sexuality education has been one of the primary sources of controversy in the public schools for almost thirty years. The debate over this issue is particularly heated now, in a time when teen pregnancy rates are persistently high and the HIV/AIDS epidemic is having… Read More