Comment on FR Doc # 2026-12861

I am writing as a national organization representing Pre-K to grade 8 principals to ask that the U.S. Department of Education (“ED”) not adopt the proposed rescission of 34 CFR Part 270 in its entirety. This action would deny students, teachers, and educators the effective Equity Assistance Center (EAC) support they rely upon, without any certainty of whether, how, and when ED will provide equally effective desegregation support required by law. I believe that ED should leave the EAC’s in place while it studies school desegregation, develops a comprehensive plan with meaningful and relevant products and criteria, and secures Congressional funding. The EAC in our region, the Center for Education Equity, has operated as an Equity Assistance Center providing technical assistance to school districts and state education agencies on issues of race, sex, national origin, and religious equity under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Through MAEC’s technical assistance, principals have strengthened their capacity to identify and address disparities in student achievement, discipline, access to advanced coursework, and participation in enrichment opportunities. The professional learning, coaching, and resources provided by MAEC have enabled school leaders to implement more equitable policies and practices that support historically underserved student populations while improving overall school climate and academic outcomes. Without this technical guidance, school leaders will struggle to provide a well-rounded and complete education for the nation’s children. We share the Department's interest in efficient, effective use of federal resources. However, we do not believe that the history and record of the EAC program supports removing the entirety of Part 270's without providing a detailed proposed new regulation for comparison and assurance of effectiveness and success. We also believe that removing the entire program with a Congressionally approved and funded replacement provides any certainty that the statutory mandate will be complied with. We do believe addressing specific, identified sources of burden will serve both the Government’s interest in effective programing services and our interest in receiving these services. For these reasons, we respectfully request that the Department reconsider full rescission in favor of a more targeted approach. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Department of Education to provide additional data and discuss program improvements. Thank you for your consideration.