In his brief, signed by 60 Members of Congress representing 24 states, Congressman Fattah asked the Supreme Court to consider the nexus between K-12 educational opportunity and diversity in higher education.  This is a new issue to the affirmative action debate.

The Fattah brief argued that children suffering in poor schools are much more likely to be minorities and, therefore, much more likely to have uncertified teachers, outdated textbooks and overcrowded classrooms.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer alluded to the Fattah brief today when he asked about the poverty levels of African Americans in K-12.

“We live in a world where more than half of all the minority -- really 75 percent of black students below the college level are at schools that are more than 50 percent minority.  And 85 percent of those schools are in areas of poverty,” said Justice Breyer.

“I am glad that the court recognized the validity of this argument,” said Congressman Fattah.  “It is my hope that one day every child in this country will have access to a quality education.”

You can read the Fattah brief at: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/pa02_fattah/Amicus_Brief_Fattah.pdf