Equity and equality are mutually integral concepts. Federal law and court cases require equality. Correcting educational inequities can assure equality based on the U.S. Constitution and legal precedent.
The Ohio NAACP Taskforce started from a request from the National NAACP to Mrs. Sybil Edwards-McNabb, former NAACP Ohio Conference State President, to have Ohio represented in a nineteen (19) state conference on Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA) to be held in Chicago and Houston.
Upon completion of the Conference, the Ohio Task Force was requested to participate in the Washington, D.C. ESSA Conference hosted by the President and CEO, Thomas J. Donohue of the United States Chamber of Commerce and the President and CEO, Cornell Brooks of the National NAACP.
Upon the election of the current NAACP President, Tom Roberts (2017 to present), the Task Force was asked to continue the work and to help engage the Ohio Department of Education, State Superintendent Paulo DeMaria, State Board of Education President, Laura Kohler, and Ohio State Board of Education Vice President, Charlotte McGuire.
The State of Ohio Collective, a 501c3 Think Tank, joined the work in 2020 adding statewide support, research, scope, and analysis to the project.
The task force was created to improve and correct outcomes for Black children. Evidence and research read the foundation of strategies that are effective in improving outcomes for children who are Black. The work of the task force focused on the following key areas:
“We believe the State, under the 14th Amendment, should set Equal Academic Expectations/Goals for all students, as it has for the past 10 years.” READ MORE
“The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People request that you eliminate differential benchmarks for student subgroups and acknowledge that equality and the total elimination of achievement gaps are the only acceptable objectives for education.” READ MORE
“Setting Inferior Academic Expectations / Goals (54.8) for African American / Black Students and Superior Academic Expectations / Goals (84.3) for White Students goes against the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision in Brown vs. Board of Education and Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by the President of the United States.” READ MORE
“I write on behalf of the NAACP, the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the country. In June of 2022, the NAACP sent a letter to the Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Ohio Department of Education (“ODOE”).” READ MORE
“State of Ohio Branches of the NAACP. A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING AND REQUESTING THE STATE OF OHIO TO PROVIDE EQUAL STATE ACADEMIC EXPECTATION/GOALS FOR ALL STUDENTS” READ MORE
“Executive Committee Resolution supporting and requesting the State of Ohio to provide “equal” education for “all” students as called for in the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown V. Board of Education, especially African American students who have been historically discriminated against.” READ MORE
