All4Ed joined with 15 civil rights and education equity organizations to urge Congress to include a Maintenance of Equity requirement within the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. As discussed in a prior letter of support last year, this provision is designed to ensure that state and district leaders do not force students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and educators of color to shoulder a disproportionate share of cuts in state and local education funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic downturn. The Maintenance of Equity provision is a safeguard on behalf of schools and districts serving students and educators most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these schools and districts, which disproportionately serve communities of color and rural communities, have been historically underfunded, disproportionately rely on state revenue, and are at greatest risk for state funding cuts.
Read the full letter below.
