State reviews federal Title VI assurances after U.S. Department of Education request

The Alabama State Department of Education told the board it received federal correspondence asking states to sign new assurances related to Title VI (civil-rights compliance) and that legal teams in the department, the attorney general’s office and the governor’s office are reviewing the request.

Department leaders said the correspondence arrived as email guidance rather than a formal “dear colleague” letter, and that an explanatory follow-up email changed aspects of the first message. The department is coordinating with other state chiefs and with the attorney general to determine whether to sign the new assurances. The state’s submitted Title VI assurances were already in place, and some other states have publicly announced they will not sign revised assurances because they contend the Department of Education cannot rework previously accepted assurances without a formal rulemaking or legal process.

The department said it is likely — but not yet decided — to sign after legal review; officials said they will not sign without clearance from the governor’s legal team and the attorney general. The federal correspondence originally included a short deadline that the department said the federal agency later extended by about 10 days, allowing additional time for review.

Board members were told the department is coordinating with peer states through standing calls and working groups and will provide a decision next week following legal review. The board was assured that “the constitutional civil rights of every child in Alabama will be protected,” but the department emphasized it is consulting counsel before taking action on the federal request.