LULAC Warns That State and Local Funding Flexibility Act Will Further Disadvantage Minority
Today, the House of Representatives will mark up The State and Local Funding Flexibility Act, as introduced, will relieve any incentive of schools to commit federal dollars to low-income and historically disadvantaged students, and Native students. The proposed legislation introduced by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) would allow school districts to use federal funding for other purposes.
In a letter to Members of Congress, Brent Wilkes, LULAC National Executive Director expressed concern that a persistent achievement gap exists between both high and low-performing schools. “With a national graduation rate of only 72% and an on-time graduation rate for Latino students hovering around 56%, Congress must target its efforts and polices toward strategies that are most likely to strengthen academic performance and graduation rates for all students.
“We all know that Federal education programs often have unintended consequences which is why every effort must be made to ensure that each tax payer dollar is spent effectively. At present, the data shows that an
House Judiciary Committee to Look at Two Immigraiton Bills
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee took up two immigration bills that supposedly address community safety, but in reality are simply the latest attempts to restrict immigration and limit due process for immigrants. Neither Chairman Lamar Smith’s (R-TX) “Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2011,” or Rep. Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) “Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2011” (SAFE Act) offer solutions to the immigration crisis.
Instead, Chairman Smith’s bill would authorize indefinite detention for a wide range of immigrants, while Rep. Goodlatte’s bill would eliminate the diversity visa—a lottery that offers 50,000 visas per year to immigrants from countries