Education Justice

A high-quality public education is a fundamental civil right for all children.

More than 60 years ago, the Court in Brown v. Board of Education wrote: “Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local government” because “it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education.” Yet, the quality of an education that District of Columbia students receive still depends far too much on the neighborhood in which they live, the income of their family, the color of their skin, the language they speak at home, and whether they have a disability.

Our Education Justice team strives to ensure that all students in the District of Columbia have access to high-quality public schools that are accountable to the communities they serve. We fight for students who have been denied access to their education or excluded from educational opportunities. We combat discrimination against students of color and students with disabilities.

We do this through three core strategies: bringing legal cases, advocating for laws and regulations that create educational opportunity, and partnering with District schools to provide support and academic enrichment.