After Court decision, school districts struggle to assess whether they must change policies

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Across U.S., a New Look at School Integration Efforts
By TAMAR LEWIN
Published: June 29, 2007

The Supreme Court ruling striking down voluntary programs to integrate schools in Seattle and Louisville, Ky., left hundreds of school districts struggling yesterday to assess whether they must change policies that use race as a factor in school assignments.

Many lawyers said the 5-to-4 ruling would not end a half century of litigation over school desegregation but rather reignite it, as school districts turn to alternative methods for achieving diversity.

“The decision leaves unanswered questions about when race may be considered, and unanswered questions lead to more litigation,” said Sally Scott, a Chicago lawyer whose firm, Franczek Sullivan, represents dozens of Illinois school districts, some of which use assignment plans that consider race.

But one thing that seems certain, education lawyers agree, is that the decision will lead more districts to consider income as a race-neutral means of achieving school diversity, as is already done in Wake County, N.C.; La Crosse, Wis.; Cambridge, Mass.; and elsewhere.

Louisville, whose plan was struck down by yesterday’s ruling, could move in that direction....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/washington/29schools.html

[ellisonz]

1. Kick.

[Horse with no Name]

2. My best friend is a school teacher

We live in a district that will be a casualty of this.
It starts here in pre-school. The Black kids go to Head Start, the White kids go to the Methodist pre-school.
When they get to kindergarten, the little clique of White kids are assigned to the same classroom.
The little Black kids get put wherever they fit.
In the last year, the racial disparity reversed. There were now MORE little Black kids than little White kids.
My friend told me that the White parents were LIVID because they couldn't keep their little clique of White kids together in the same classroom because frankly, the Black kids outnumbered the White kids 2:1 and they couldn't divide it up that way anymore.
Our school district of 750 kids had 110 kids get pulled out this year because of the racial disparity.
The school district is only 1 of 3 in Texas that is failing.
With that many kids gone, I don't see any way for the school district to pull their scores up. This will be a failed school district within the next 2-3 years.
Very sad.

[cgrindley]

3. so you're saying

that the white kids were the only reason that the district avoided an R? well, shouldn't that district try to do something about educating its students?