Congressmen Cohen Votes for Strength in Diversity Act

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passed, the Strength in Diversity Act, which would expand existing educational diversity initiatives.

The vote was 248 to 167.

After the vote, Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"Diversity in our schools strengthens our democracy and improves educational outcomes. This bill advances good ideas in public policy and expands initiatives that are already proven successes stories. I'm pleased to vote for this measure and hope to see it enacted into law."

The Strength in Diversity Act supports districts in developing, implementing, or expanding diversity initiatives they already have in place. The Strength in Diversity Act would also do the following:

• Provide federal funding to support voluntary local efforts to increase diversity in schools;

• Support the development and maintenance of best practices for grantees and experts in the field of school diversity;

• Support school districts, independently or in collaboration with neighboring districts, as well as regional educational authorities and educational service agencies.

• Grants could fund a range of proposals, including (but not limited to): Studying segregation, evaluating current policies, and developing evidence-based plans to address socioeconomic and racial isolation; establishing public school choice zones, revising school boundaries, or expanding equitable access to transportation for students; creating or expanding innovative school programs that can attract students from outside the local area; and recruiting, hiring, and training new teachers to support specialized schools.