MALDEF Members Named to Newly Formed Education Board
United States Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, has just appointed Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) MALDEF President and General Counsel, Thomas A. Saenz, and MALDEF board member, Jesse Ruiz, among twenty-eight members of the Department of Education’s newly created Equity and Excellence Commission.
Composed of education advocates, civil rights leaders, scholars, corporate leaders and lawyers, the commission is tasked with developing ways to close achievement gaps in America’s schools. The body will make recommendations about how federal policies can reduce disparities in educational opportunities and examine ways to restructure school finance systems such that educational resources are distributed equally.
Saenz said, “Equal educational opportunity is essential to our nation’s future economic prosperity and continued world leadership. The Equity and Excellence Commission presents a wonderful opportunity to take a significant
