In 2011, Durham Public Schools ELL students and their LEP parents contacted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) seeking legal help. They complained about limited access to interpreters, untranslated school documents and a general climate of exclusion. The SPLC agreed to work on behalf of more than 6,000 students and their families affected by the North Carolina school district’s policies.
Durham Public Schools eventually entered into a voluntary resolution agreement with the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights outlining a plan of action to create a school environment that nurtured every child, regardless of English language ability.
As a project of the SPLC, Teaching Tolerance is disseminating these best practices to districts across the United States. They are intended to help administrators create inclusive school climates.