Desegregation
Jim: I'm very disappointed at the decisions of the Supreme Court and the executive branch of the federal government to back off continued desegregation efforts in our nation's schools. Now, more than ever, we need to create "one nation," which is virtually impossible in a segregated society and segregated schools.
Kevin: I think our government went as far as it could to desegregate schools, including ill-conceived and enormously expensive busing plans. It's a policy that no longer works. We no longer have de jure segregation, the government did away with that. What we now have is de facto segregation, and it's not the government's job to force integration if people don't want to live side by side.
Jim: If black and white children don't go to school together, how in the world will they learn to trust one another and work together in society? If housing patterns don't bring them together, then it should be the responsibility of the government to bring them together in schools.
Kevin: I disagree. And the real issue is social class segregation, not race. Parents, black and white, want their children to have good educations and, if they can, they move to communities they believe can provide their children with good schools. The problem, then, is the schools serving those who don't have the financial resources and can't move. And here it's the poor quality of instruction. If we worried less about segregation and social engineering schemes and more about providing poor and minority kids with a quality education, the issue of integrated schools would be less important. As long as kids are achieving at high levels, who cares whether they attend racially integrated schools?
Jim: I care, and so do a lot of other people. In one Public Agenda poll, eight out of ten African-American parents thought it was important for the schools their children attended to be racially integrated, and seven out of ten white parents agreed. Schools teach children lots of things besides what's covered on standardized tests.
Kevin: Well, that same poll indicated that three-quarters of African-American parents thought that quality teaching had been neglected while pursuing integration. What black and white parents want are schools where their children will be safe, have qualified teachers, learn to read and do math and have a real chance to improve their lot in life. If all our children were provided with a quality education and had a chance to participate in the American dream, this issue of forcing integrated schools would disappear in a flash.
Jim: I think that's short-sighted thinking. Yes, attention to safe schools and academic matters are very important for all children, but so are experiences with children of different races. If these kids don't get these experiences in school, where will they get them?
For more information on the history and current status of desegregation of public schools, visit these web sites, then reflect on the questions that follow.
Web Links
Desegregation
The weekly online publication, Education Week, has compiled this "hot topic" summary of information and resources related to school desegregation.
The Struggle for Integration
This series of article from the weekly online publication, Education Week, was part of a 200 series examining U.S. education in the 20th century. Articles in the series cover historical topics and their current-day ramifications.
Civil Rights Project
The mission of this organization, housed at Harvard University, is to "renew the civil rights movement," and many of their initiatives deal with school issues. At their web site you can find recent reports on segregation in private schools and resegregation of American public schools.
National Association for Neighborhood Schools
This organization is opposed to forced desegregation efforts, such as busing.
For Further Reflection
- Do you tend to agree more with Kevin, that school districts have done all they can to end segregation, or with Jim, that more needs to be done? Why? Which points of each argument do you believe are the strongest?
- What would you, as a teacher, say to parents like those in the National Association for Neighborhood Schools who are opposed to district-mandated desegregation measures?
- San Francisco is exploring desegregation plans based on socioeconomic status, rather than race. Do you think this is a needed evolution in desegregation policy? Explain your position.
- Do you tend to agree more with Kevin, that improving the quality of all teachers and schools, even if they are racially segregated, is more valuable than continuing to work toward racial integration? Why or why not?
