David Johns, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, will address a meeting of the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) as part of the National School Boards Association's annual conference Saturday in New Orleans. CUBE is the urban program for NSBA, supporting urban school boards and fostering effective leadership for excellence and equity in public education.
As shown in the Education Department's recently released comprehensive Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), far too many African Americans and other students of color do not have equal educational opportunities, and far too many are disproportionately affected by suspensions and zero-tolerance policies in schools. Research shows that suspended students are more likely to repeat a grade, drop out, and become involved in the juvenile justice system. As executive director of the White House Initiative, Johns leads efforts to identify evidence-based, best practices to improve African American student achievement — from cradle to career. The initiative works across federal agencies and with partners and communities nationwide to promote excellence in education for African American students.