News Summary
Broward County Public Schools has announced the cancellation of its Latino leadership course, Latinos in Action, following a U.S. Department of Education ruling. The DOE found the program to be discriminatory as it exclusively targets Latino students, affecting about 2,800 enrolled. The decision requires compliance to avoid losing $30 million in federal funding, prompting local leaders to voice concerns about ethnic representation in education. This development raises questions about future similar initiatives in diversity within educational settings.
Broward County, Florida – Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) has announced the cancellation of its Latino leadership course, Latinos in Action, for the upcoming spring semester after a ruling from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) determined that the program violates federal civil rights law. The decision affects approximately 2,800 students currently enrolled in the elective program, which has been offered at 44 schools throughout the district.
The DOE’s Office for Civil Rights issued a letter stating that the Latinos in Action course is “designed for and exclusive to Latino students,” leading to concerns that it discriminates against Black, white, and Asian American students. The DOE’s directive demanded that BCPS comply within five days to avoid a potential loss of $30 million in federal funding. According to the letter, the organization of the course must adhere to federal laws that prohibit programs from being organized around ethnicity.
The purpose of the Latinos in Action course has been to empower Latino youth by equipping them with college and career readiness skills while also encouraging leadership within their communities. It has served as both a class and extracurricular club in 16 states, including several districts in Florida. Following the federal ruling, BCPS confirmed that the course would be phased out by the start of the spring semester, although it is currently unclear whether related club activities would continue after the course’s cancellation.
The situation has elicited a range of responses from local leaders. Adam Cervera, the only Hispanic member of the BCPS School Board, acknowledged the importance of Latino representation in education but stressed the need for adherence to legal frameworks governing such programs. Similarly, Pembroke Pines city commissioner Maria Rodriguez criticized the federal government’s actions as a targeted threat against Broward Schools, highlighting that about 33% of the county’s population is Hispanic and underlining the necessity of such support programs for Latino youth.
Some members of the school board have described the DOE’s actions as “extortion”, particularly in light of assertions that the $30 million grant has no relevance to the Latinos in Action program. School board chair Debbi Hixon expressed surprise over the ruling, noting that BCPS had received no prior communication from the DOE before being notified of the decision. The DOE also addressed concerns regarding a quota system in place within the program that allegedly runs afoul of federal civil rights standards.
Lastly, board member Rebecca Thompson openly questioned the implications of the ruling for future educational programs that might focus on specific ethnic groups, highlighting the potential challenge this poses for diversity initiatives in education. Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County Public Schools does not participate in the Latinos in Action program while several other Florida school districts do.
The cancellation of the Latinos in Action course represents not just a shift in educational offerings for BCPS but also raises critical questions about the balance between supporting ethnic representation in education and complying with federal regulations.
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Additional Resources
- NBC Miami: Broward Schools Cancels Latinos in Action Course
- Wikipedia: Civil Rights
- Caribbean National Weekly: Broward Schools to Cancel Latinos in Action Course
- Google Search: Latinos in Action
- NBC Miami: Feds Say Popular School Program for Latinos Discriminates
- Google Scholar: Broward County Public Schools
- Margate Talk: Monarch Latinos in Action Tutors
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Education Equity
- NBC Miami: Department of Education Calls Out Latinos in Action
- Google News: Broward Schools Education
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