White House opens inquiry into Chicago school program aimed at helping Black students
The department has also warned that it could withhold federal funding from the district.
The investigation, announced on Tuesday, is being overseen by the education department's office for civil rights and stems from a complaint filed by Parents Defending Education, a conservative group based in Virginia.
The complaint targets the district's Black Student Success Plan, alleging that it 'discriminates against students on the basis of race', which the Trump administration claims violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance.
In the complaint, the group alleges that the school district is 'failing students of all races and ethnicities, which makes this racially segregated program all the more egregious'.
Chicago public schools described the Black Student Success Plan as being part of the system's 'commitment to eliminating educational opportunity gaps and ensuring Black students have the support needed to achieve academic success and personal growth' in a February news release announcing the initiative.
The plan, which was to start this spring, includes 'implementing culturally responsive practices and instruction, ensuring equitable resource allocation, increasing the recruitment and retention of Black educators and leaders, and fostering meaningful engagement with Black students and families', according to the news release.
The chief education officer of Chicago public schools, Bogdana Chkoumbova, said at the time that the district was 'committed to removing these obstacles and calls upon the community to support efforts to better serve Black students', adding: 'Together, we can create an inclusive educational environment where all students have the opportunity to thrive.'
The Department of Education's investigation into the Chicago school district appears to be the first time since Trump took office again in January that the department has investigated a public school system for implementing a race-based program, according to NBC News.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights, Craig Trainor, said that Chicago public schools have a 'record of academic failure, leaving students from all backgrounds and races struggling and ill-prepared to meet the challenges and enjoy the rewards of contemporary American life'.
Sign up to This Week in Trumpland
A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration
after newsletter promotion
Trainor argued that the Black Student Success Plan 'seeks to allocate additional resources to favored students on the basis of race'.
'The Trump-McMahon Department of Education will not allow federal funds, provided for the benefit of all students, to be used in this pernicious and unlawful manner,' Trainor added.
In response to the investigation announcement this week, the Chicago Teachers Union president, Stacy Davis Gates, called the probe an 'attempt to hinder the progress we are striving to achieve'.
'Rather than using the department to create opportunities for students, Trump and McMahon appear determined to transform it into a debt collection agency and a vehicle to dismantle the civil rights protections that support students and their families,' Davis Gates added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
South Korean and US militaries begin annual summertime drills to cope with North Korean threats
South Korea and the United States began their annual large-scale joint military exercise on Monday to better cope with threats by nuclear-armed North Korea, which has warned the drills would deepen regional tensions and vowed to respond to 'any provocation' against its territory. The 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield, the second of two large-scale exercises held annually in South Korea, after another set in March, will involve 21,000 soldiers, including 18,000 South Koreans, in computer-simulated command post operations and field training. The drills, which the allies describe as defensive, could trigger a response from North Korea, which has long portrayed the allies' exercises as invasion rehearsals and has often used them as a pretext for military demonstrations and weapons tests aimed at advancing its nuclear program. In a statement last week, North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol said the drills show the allies' stance of 'military confrontation' with the North and declared that its forces would be ready to counteract 'any provocation going beyond the boundary line.' Ulchi Freedom Shield comes at a pivotal moment for South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae Myung, who is preparing for an Aug. 25 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington. Trump has raised concerns in Seoul that he may upend the decades-old alliance by demanding higher payments for the American troop presence in South Korea and possibly reducing it as Washington shifts its focus more toward China. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high as North Korea has brushed aside Lee's calls to resume diplomacy with its war-divided rival, with relations having soured in recent years as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accelerated his weapons program and deepened alignment with Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Seoul's previous conservative government responded to North Korean threats by expanding military exercises with the United States and seeking stronger U.S. assurances for nuclear deterrence, drawing an angry reaction from Kim, who last year renounced long-term reconciliation goals and rewrote the North's constitution to label the South a permanent enemy. In his latest message to Pyongyang on Friday, Lee, who took office in June, said he would seek to restore a 2018-inter-Korean military agreement designed to reduce border tensions and called for North Korea to respond to the South's efforts to rebuild trust and revive talks. The 2018 military agreement, reached during a brief period of diplomacy between South Korea's former liberal President Moon Jae-in and Kim, created buffer zones on land and sea and no-fly zones above the border to prevent clashes. But South Korea suspended the deal in 2024, citing tensions over North Korea's launches of trash-laden balloons toward the South, and moved to resume frontline military activities and propaganda campaigns. The step came after North Korea had already declared it would no longer abide by the agreement. When asked whether the Lee government's steps to restore the agreement would affect the allies' drills, the South's Defense Ministry said Monday that there are no immediate plans to suspend live-fire training near the Koreas' disputed maritime border. While the allies have postponed half of Ulchi Freedom Shield's originally planned 44 field training programs to September, U.S. military officials denied South Korean media speculation that the scaled-back drills were meant to make room for diplomacy with the North, citing heat concerns and flood damage to some training fields. Dating back to his first term, Trump has regularly called for South Korea to pay more for the 28,500 American troops stationed on its soil. Public comments by senior Trump administration officials, including Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, have suggested a push to restructure the alliance, which some experts say could potentially affect the size and role of U.S. forces in South Korea. Under this approach, South Korea would take a greater role in countering North Korean threats while U.S. forces focus more on China, possibly leaving Seoul to face reduced benefits but increased costs and risks, experts say. In a recent meeting with reporters, Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, stressed the need to 'modernize' the alliance to address the evolving security environment, including North Korea's nuclear ambitions, its deepening alignment with Russia, and what he called Chinese threats to a 'free and open Indo-Pacific.'
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
Rupee to receive a risk boost, but US-India trade discord overhang persists
MUMBAI, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The Indian rupee is poised to open higher on Monday, supported by a likely rally in local equities after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sweeping tax reforms to boost growth, though persistent U.S.–India trade tensions should cap the advance. The 1-month non-deliverable forward indicated the rupee will open in the 87.50-87.52 range versus the U.S. dollar, compared with 87.55 on Thursday. Indian financial markets were closed on Friday. Gift Nifty futures indicated that the Nifty 50 (.NSEI), opens new tab will open more than 1% higher after India announced sweeping tax reforms to lift the economy in the face of a trade conflict with Washington. The rupee will "see a bit of lift from equity, however it's hard to see it doing much with the U.S.–India trade cloud hanging overhead,' said a Mumbai-based FX trader. "The downside (on dollar/rupee) is capped, and any dip will likely be faded." The outcome of the weekend's Trump–Putin meeting did not evoke much of a reaction from Asian equities and currencies. U.S. President Donald Trump has said a full-fledged peace deal for Ukraine remained the ultimate aim rather than a mere ceasefire. After talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said he would delay new tariffs on countries like China that continue purchasing Russian oil. Absent from his remarks was any reference to India, which remains on track to face an additional 25% duty starting August 27. Adding to the pressure on the rupee, Washington has scrapped a planned August 25–29 visit by trade negotiators to New Delhi, shelving discussions on a potential trade deal and extinguishing hopes of relief from the fresh tariffs on Indian goods. KEY INDICATORS: ** One-month non-deliverable rupee forward at 87.62; onshore one-month forward premium at 11.5 paise ** Dollar index up at 97.88 ** Brent crude futures down 0.1% at $65.8 per barrel ** Ten-year U.S. note yield at 4.31% ** As per NSDL data, foreign investors sold a net $258.2mln worth of Indian shares on Aug. 13 ** NSDL data shows foreign investors bought a net $200.5mln worth of Indian bonds on Aug. 13
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
India's stock benchmarks set to open higher on easing oil woes, GST reforms
Aug 18 (Reuters) - India's equity benchmarks are set to open higher on Monday, buoyed by cooling Russian oil supply concerns after a meeting between the U.S. and Russian Presidents and New Delhi's proposed goods and services tax reforms. Gift Nifty futures were trading at 24,984 as of 8:46 a.m. IST, indicating that the Nifty 50 (.NSEI), opens new tab will open about 1.4% above Thursday's close of 24,631.3. Indian markets were closed on Friday for a holiday. Following his meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared more aligned with Moscow on seeking a Ukraine peace deal instead of a ceasefire first. Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders on Monday to hammer out details of possible security guarantees for Kyiv, though actual proposals are vague as yet. Oil prices slipped after the U.S. refrained from imposing new measures to curb Russian oil exports, following Trump-Putin's Friday meeting. Meanwhile, Trump said on Friday he did not need to consider retaliatory tariffs yet on countries buying Russian oil, such as China, but might "in two or three weeks", easing fears of supply disruption. China, the world's biggest oil importer, is the largest buyer of Russian oil, followed by India. A fall in prices is positive for importers of the commodity, such as India. Separately, shares of car makers could rise after Reuters reported the government proposed lowering the GST on small cars to 18% from 28%. Alongside easing worries over Russian oil imports, the Indian government's announcement of sweeping tax reforms to boost the economy amid the trade conflict with the U.S. also boosted sentiment, analysts said. The S&P Global's ratings upgrade, reiterating India's macro stability, is also likely to aid risk sentiment. Foreign portfolio investors (FPI) offloaded Indian stocks worth 19.27 billion rupees ($220.2 million) on Thursday, while domestic institutional investors (DII) purchased stocks worth 38.96 billion rupees, taking their buying streak to 29 sessions. ** Glenmark Pharma's ( opens new tab June-quarter profit drops on North America, European pricing woes. ** S&P Global Ratings upgrades, opens new tab State Bank of India's ( opens new tab issuer credit rating to "BBB/Stable/A-2" from "BBB/Positive/A-3". ** Vodafone Idea ( opens new tab posts smaller-than-expected loss in June quarter. ** Patanjali Foods ( opens new tab reports a drop in first-quarter profit. ($1 = 87.4970 Indian rupees)
