Posted on 02/01/2006 9:31:57 AM PST by summer
N.A.A.C.P. officials said on Tuesday that they were trying to intervene in a lawsuit over the No Child Left Behind Law on the side of the Bush administration and against the State of Connecticut because of a core principle: that states do not have the right to ignore federal legislation that aims to help minorities.
"The issue goes beyond the specifics of No Child Left Behind to potentially affect other federal statutes designed to protect civil rights," said Victor L. Goode, assistant general counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "One can't help but remember back in the Dixiecrat period when certain Southern states asserted that they were not required to comply with certain federal civil rights laws designed to protect people's rights."
The Connecticut State N.A.A.C.P. filed a motion on Monday to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the State of Connecticut against Margaret Spellings, the secretary of education. The state contends that the federal government came up about $50 million short in funding for education and testing required under No Child Left Behind, and that Connecticut should not be asked to spend its own money to comply with the law....
The N.A.A.C.P. said in its filing that "Connecticut is failing its most disempowered children," and included three minority students in the motion to intervene.
Civil rights lawyers are concerned about the precedent that a Connecticut victory would set.
"We would not want states or other entities to not enforce laws like the 1964 Civil Rights Act or the 1968 Civil Rights Act on some notion that they don't have enough money to enforce it," said Mr. Goode, the N.A.A.C.P. lawyer. "We don't want the door to be opened to this sort of thing."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Hope Connecticut prevails. Unfunded mandates are an unconstitutional impingement on the sovereignty of the states. Of course, NCLB is itself an unconsitutional federal exercise in education. But the president, congress, and federal courts have long ago proven that they don't much care for the 9th and 10th amendments.
I hope both the Bush administration and the NAACP get slapped down on this.
I have to tell you -- if they fail, as you hope, then: the picture looks pretty bleak for those kids.
It seems that this one is an unfunded mandate, pure and simple. NAACP plainly has other goals in reserve that must overcome "unfunded mandates".
"I have to tell you -- if they fail, as you hope, then: the picture looks pretty bleak for those kids."
When you say "if they fail", who do you refer to as "they"?
YEs, the NAACP is saying they have a larger view in mind, and that is as follows: states can not ignore federal laws aimed to help minorities. I think the NAACP was wise to set aside politics and side with GW on this issue. Because I have say, again, this achievement is not going away without a constant push and shove by the GOP.
YEs, the NAACP is saying they have a larger view in mind, and that is as follows: states can not ignore federal laws aimed to help minorities. I think the NAACP was wise to set aside politics and side with GW on this issue. Because I have say, again, this achievement gap is not going away without a constant push and shove by the GOP.
The same ones you referred to as "they." (CT and those on the side of CT in this lawsuit.)
PS My apologies to for any misunderstanding. Thanks for asking before going ballistic for no reason! :)
The unfunded mandate looms large here. As to NCLB, how many USG programs of a similar purpose have failed repeatedly at taxpayer expense?
answer.....every one of them. Enough is enough.
I'm not a fan of NCLB, but the law is the law.
And, I'll tell you something, Clemenza, as I know you are very familiar with both FL and NY, just as I am: others like us have also commented to me how there is MORE discrimination in the NE than in the South. MUCH MORE. Knowing both places -- I believe it's true. However, in the NE, they try to do their discrimination a lot more quietly than anywhere else!
In rereading your post #3, I think I actually meant this: If they fail (meaning GW and the NAACP)... sorry! :)
FYI.
"what do you propose instead of No Child?"
Parents sending their kids to school prepared and motivated to learn. NOTHING else will do!
Even a broken clock....
Julie, I meant to ping you to this thread. Also, I thought your friend who is with the new black national GOP group might find this interesting. summer
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