CLE strives to make the right of all students to a quality education a reality.

MA Assistance

CLE’s Boston office receives limited MA funding to provide targeted advocacy to challenge systemic statewide issues impeding low-income students from attaining the high academic content and achievement standards set for all students. CLE works collaboratively with community based organizations promoting improved educational outcomes for all students through school- and district-wide change, and provides legal and technical assistance to legal services and other public interest attorneys representing low-income students in an array of education law related matters, including exclusionary discipline, racial and sexual harassment, discrimination based on race, national origin, disability, gender and sexual orientation, testing and assessments, school records and privacy issues, denial of appropriate specialized instruction and supportive services necessary for students with disabilities to access state standards set for all, failure to provide accommodations in teaching and learning for English language learners and students with disabilities, and barriers to higher education.

  • Pro Bono Education Law Project provides representation to low-income students throughout MA who are being excluded from public schools through disciplinary exclusion or as a result of an ineffective/inadequate education.
  • School-Level and Districtwide Advocacy Efforts CLE has been working with families and educators at several schools in Boston, using the requirements of Title I as a tool to bring about school-level change. CLE’s Family School-Level Change Initiative seeks to make schools accountable to families, students, and other members of the school community for providing a high-quality education to every child.
  • MA Legislative and Administrative Advocacy CLE comments and testimony pertaining to MA proposed policies, regulations, and statutes.

Pro Bono Education Law Project

Intake Notes

CLE’s Pro Bono Education Law Project, a collaborative partnership with the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School and Choate, Hall and Stewart, provides direct legal assistance to low-income students throughout the state who are being excluded from public school through disciplinary exclusion or as a result of an ineffective/inadequate education. Intake: Monday-Friday, 9:00am-6:00pm. 

Press

School and/or Districtwide Advocacy

School-Level and Districtwide Advocacy Efforts

 

Tools

  • “Components of a Parent Involvement Policy,” (2009) (PDF) Handout describing seven components, at a minimum, that should comprise a Title I Parent Involvment Policy (source: 20 U.S.C. § 6318). The Policy must describe how families, teachers, and administrators will knowledgeably and effectively participate in developing the school’s Title I schoolwide program plan or program plan as appropriate.
  • CLE Releases Key Tool for School Reform: Educational Quality Bill of Rights (EQBR) (PDF) CLE has developed both a short and long version of its EQBR. The EQBR is designed as a starting point both to help schools articulate what they need to provide to ensure that all children receive a high-quality education, and to advance district and state adequacy efforts to help ensure that the resources and supports are sufficient for schools to have the capacity to provide that high-quality education.
    • EQBR Short-form (1 page version) (PDF) identifies each key element of quality education in response to parent-oriented key questions about a school.
    • EQBR Longer version (PDF) outlines the contents and components of each of those key elements of quality education in response to parent-oriented key questions about a school.
  • “Family Literacy Resources,” (June 2009) (PDF) Families at one school site used the parent involvement provisions of Title I to begin a school-wide focus on improving the literacy skills of students at their school. Conversations between families and teachers culminated in a workshop for families about ways families can support their child’s literacy at home. Handout supplemented information provided at workshop. 
  • “Boston Public Schools Office of Family and Student Engagement Summer Institute Workshop: Developing a Family Engagement Policy,” (August, 20 2008) (PDF) Presentation for members of the Boston Public Schools Office of Family and Student Engagement introducing a framework for making schools accountable to families, students, and other members of the school community for providing a high quality education to all children. Goal of the workshop is to introduce the legal provisions in Title I that require each school to develop a Parent Involvement Policy intended to lead to meaningful school-level change.

MA Legislation & Policy