Do We Need to Redefine Civil Rights for Students?

If I were to start a Civil Rights group to defend the rights of children, especially children in poverty, I would begin by demanding that all students have the same access to art, music, science, counseling, libraries and school trips that students at the nation's top private schools have, along with classes that are small enough to give them personal attention, and a curriculum that acknowledges and recognizes their cultural traditions. I would also ask that student voices should be part of every institution, from the school level to the legislature, shaping education policy

However, such a group is unlikely to receive funding from the Gates Foundation or get invitations from the US Department of Education to help shape policy. The equation of Civil Rights with Universal Testing is a phenomenon that could never have occurred had not a small number of extremely powerful foundations and corporations decided to use their fortunes to reshape the education philosophies of government bodies and non profit organizations