Scott Statement on Meeting with Secretary DeVos to Discuss Discipline Disparities
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after a meeting with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to discuss priority issues for House Democrats. Today’s meeting was the first meeting between the Ranking Member and the Secretary.
“My discussion with Secretary DeVos today reaffirmed for me that we share a common goal – to ensure all students are supported to achieve their full potential. Secretary DeVos and I will not always agree on the best ways to achieve that goal. But I am confident there are areas, like expanding access to quality career and technical education including apprenticeships, where we can work together.
“I am hopeful that another such area is dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. This is why I strongly urged the Secretary to maintain the 2014 School Discipline Guidance Package. States and school districts need the tools and resources provided by this guidance package to ensure compliance with federal education and civil rights laws which require that they identify and address any racial bias in discipline policies and practices. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title IV-A grants are another valuable tool, which is why I also urged the Secretary to support school districts in using ESSA dollars to keep students in school and out of prison. As we begin this new year, I hope that Secretary DeVos and I will continue to have productive conversations on ending the school-to-prison pipeline and other issues important to students and families.”
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