Currently, there are around 13,800 school districts in the U.S. and,
according to the Century Foundation, approximately 70 of them use socioeconomic status
as a factor in their assignment. If Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
criticizes Wake County for assigning students the same way that 99.995 percent
of the nation's school districts do, then he has a much bigger problem than
Wake.
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CommenTerry
Much has been made of the Obama administration's contention that Wake County's
shift to neighborhood schools will roll back the civil rights achievements of
the last century. Last week, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan submitted a letter
to the Washington Post in response to their front-page article,
"Republican
school board in N.C. backed by tea party abolishes integration policy."
Duncan wrote,
America's strength has always been
a function of its diversity, so it is troubling to see North Carolina's Wake
County School Board taking steps to reverse a long-standing policy to promote
racial diversity in its schools ["In
N.C., a new battle on school integration," front page, Jan. 12]. The
board's action has led to a complaint that has prompted an investigation by our
Office for Civil Rights, but it should also prompt a conversation among
educators, parents and students across America about our core values.
Those core values, embodied in our founding documents, subsequent amendments
and court rulings, include equity and diversity in education and opportunity.
...
Let's clear up a few things. Wake County did not have a
"long-standing policy to promote racial diversity." The school system
had a policy implemented a decade ago to promote "socioeconomic"
diversity as measured by the number of students participating in the free and
reduced price lunch program. In Parents Involved v. Seattle School District
No. 1 (2007), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled
that using race as a factor in student assignment was unconstitutional. Perhaps
Mr. Duncan should consult with attorneys from his Office for Civil Rights for
further information on the issue.
While I welcome Mr. Duncan's invitation to participate in a "conversation
among educators, parents and students across America about our core
values," the debate over what constitutes core American values is far from
settled. For example, what happens when efforts to achieve what Mr. Duncan
calls "equity and diversity in education and opportunity" come at the
expense of learning? Are proponents of busing really willing to accept low
graduation rates and other troubling academic outcomes in exchange for ensuring
that low-income kids have access to surrogate middle-class parents and designer
friends? If so, they should man up and admit it.
After all, proponents of busing seem to be at ease with the fact that, last
year, black males in Wake County achieved a 56.3 percent graduation rate.
Hispanic males posted a 50.3 percent graduation rate. Wake's graduation rate
for economically disadvantaged students was 59.7 percent (see "Facts and
Stats" below.) These percentages are unacceptable ... unless you believe
that widespread academic failure among racial and ethnic minority students is
one of our nation's core values.
I would like to invite all readers to submit announcements, as well as their personal
insights, anecdotes, concerns, and observations about the state of education in
North Carolina. I will publish selected submissions in future editions of the
newsletter. Anonymity will be honored. For additional information or to send a
submission, email Terry at tstoops@johnlocke.org.
Education Acronym of the Week
WCPSS -- Wake County Public School System
Quote of the Week
"We believe there are advantages that diversity
among students brings to the educational process that benefit all students
regardless of race, income, family, or other characteristics. In particular,
our commitment to diversity requires that we also be committed to maintaining
healthy schools for all students. All schools should be equally attractive for
students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community -- a source of
pride in every neighborhood."
-- William R. McNeal and Thomas B. Oxholm, A School
District's Journey to Excellence: Lessons From Business and Education, 2008.
Monday, Jan. 24th, 2011 at 12:00 PM, Noon A meeting of the Shaftesbury Society with our special guest Jeanette Doran Incentives Game- Time to Put Up or Shut Up.
Why NC needs a 'but for' test for Corporate Welfare
Saturday, Feb. 19th, 2011 at 10:00am-4:00pm A Citizens' Constitutional Workshop in La Grange, NC with presenters Dr. Troy Kickler & Dr. Michael Sanera What the Founders and the State Ratification Conventions Can Teach Us Today
