Today the representatives of seven major national civil rights groups canceled a planned press conference at which they were about to discuss their powerful new challenge to President Obama's education policies.

Instead of making their public presentation, the leaders met with Fed Ed Head Arne Duncan. 

Those of us in Chicago recognize this move. I remember back when CEO Duncan was "assigned" to me to make sure I talked to him before going public with any complaints. Whenever he'd see me, he'd bend over (way over) and ask me if everything was OK. Needless to say, this strategy didn't work, since Arne's concern didn't extend to actually addressing any of the problems I raised. 

I'd really like to think that the high profile and serious message of today's leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson of Rainbow Push along with the NAACP and the National Urban League, will motivate the Obama administration tor do more than call out the spin doctors.

Valerie Strauss, who writes the Answer Sheet blog at the Washington Post, characterized the civil rights proposal as a "thrashing" and says this:

You won’t see these sentences in the piece: “Dear President Obama, you say you believe in an equal education for all students, but you are embarking on education policies that will never achieve that goal and that can do harm to America’s school children, especially its neediest. Stop before it is too late.”

But that, in other nicer words, is exactly what it says. The courteous gloss on this framework can’t cover up its angry, challenging substance.

This call is for the sake of our children, and I hope that the President responds responsibly.