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Monique Lin-Luse, Assistant Counsel of NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Tanya Clay House, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for P-12 Education at the U.S. Department of Education, Iman Abdul,
Educational Consultancy Intern at IntegrateNYC4me, and Erica Frankenberg, Co-director of the Center for Education and Civil Rights at Penn State University participate in a panel discussion at the June 1 convening "Furthering Diversity in K-12 Schools through Student Assignment." For more information, see here.
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10th Anniversary of
Parents Involved
On June 28, 2007, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down one of the most influential education law cases of the 21st Century,
Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1
(PICS). While the Justices in PICS struck down a common racial integration technique used in the contested student assignment plans and created new difficulties for school districts seeking to support integrative student assignment policies, Justice Kennedy's concurring decision affirmed school diversity as a compelling state interest. Writing for a 5 Justice majority of the court,
Justice Kennedy observed
that
This Nation has a moral and ethical obligation to fulfill its historic commitment to creating an integrated society that ensures equal opportunity for all of its children. A compelling interest exists in avoiding racial isolation, an interest that a school district, in its discretion and expertise, may choose to pursue. Likewise, a district may consider it a compelling interest to achieve a diverse student population. Race may be one component of that diversity, but other demographic factors, plus special talents and needs, should also be considered.
The PICS decision, and Justice Kennedy's concurring opinion marking diverse schools as a compelling government interest, are at the core of the National Coalition on School Diversity's work. Relying on Justice Kennedy's framing of how school districts can constitutionally seek student diversity, and building on the powerful momentum of the PICS amicus campaign, NCSD members spearheaded an advocacy effort in the early years of the Obama Administration that ultimately resulted in the generation of
guidance on the voluntary use of race to achieve student diversity and a
series of diversity incentives in federal grant programs. This comprehensive federal guidance, in turn, helped to spur renewed school integration efforts across the country which continue today.
(See Monday's New York Times editorial below!)
On June 28th join the conversation on social media. #CelebrateSchoolDiversity
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Plyler v. Doe Turns 35
This month also marks the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe, which articulated the constitutional requirement that all students be afforded access to a free public education regardless of immigration status. Read more about this important decision here.
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Update on School Diversity in New York
In June, New York City Department of Education
released a long-awaited
pro-diversity policy statement and framework for supporting the creation and growth of diverse schools. While the plan was met with a
critical reception from many New York City school diversity advocates, the City's clear statement in support of diverse educational environments and commitment to sustained community engagement around the issue are significant wins for the advocacy community, and provide tools to support advocacy efforts moving forward. For a brief overview of how NCSD members working at both the local and federal level help achieve this milestone in New York City, see this
piece from Michael Hilton and Kimberly Hall of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council.
The New York State Education Department was also active on the school diversity front this month. The State Education Department submitted a draft policy statement titled
"Promoting Diversity: Integration in New York State" to the P-12 Education committee for consideration and discussion at the June Board of Regents Meeting. Many in the school diversity community
hailed the State's draft statement for its frank consideration of segregation and integration in New York schools. The Board of Regents also announced the creation of a
Regents Research Work Group to oversee state-level school diversity work. Furthermore, several NCSD members and other New York based school diversity advocates submitted written testimony in support of New York's consideration of diversity and integration in the State's Every Student Succeeds Act plan.
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Webinar: Building ESSA Plans for Equity and Opportunity
Presented by the Schott Foundation for Public Education, a new webinar titled Building ESSA Plans for Equity and Opportunity is now available for parents, advocates, and other education stakeholders who want to learn about how they can influence state ESSA plans.
While
17 states have already submitted ESSA plans to the U.S. Department of Education, most states are still in the development stages. Given that t
he ESSA plans states and districts are designing now have the potential to lead to greater equity and opportunity, or to push policies that promote privatization
and disinvestment in public schools, robust public involvement is critical for the development of plans that support diverse, equitable schools.
- Download the webinar slides here.
- Download the Schott Foundation ESSA Infographic here.
- Download the Schott Foundation Education Justice Network ESSA Toolkit here.
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NCSD Member Updates
- The Civil Rights Project at UCLA recently published a new manual to support school districts and schools seeking to develop high-quality diverse, equitable magnet school programs. The manual covers both the "why?" and "how?" of developing and sustaining diverse magnet schools, including consideration of how to build political will around the issue, and contains case studies and resources.
- The Great Lakes Equity Center Equity Spotlight Podcast Series recently featured a conversation with David Glaser of the Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation. Transcript of the conversation available here.
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This summer Integrated Schools is convening a working group to develop an "Integrating Equitably" workbook aimed at parents, specifically those in white/privileged families, who are intentionally choosing integrated/integrating schools for their children. This workgroop will draw from research and personal experience to provide a resource for families who have made this choice and who are committed to equity for all children and all parents. Participants
will be web-conferencing weekly, and welcome anyone who is interested to participate. If interested, please email
[email protected].
- The Maryland Equity Project released a report examining whether there is a teacher shortage in Maryland, titled "Is there a Teacher Shortage in Maryland? Examining Trends in Supply and Demand."
In this report, author Erin Janulis examines trends in the supply and demand for teachers in Maryland, comparing how these trends have changed between 2005 and 2015, finding little evidence of a teacher shortage in Maryland.
- On July 18th, Richard Rothstein will be giving a talk based on his new book, The Color of Law, at Diesel Bookstore, 5433 College Ave, Oakland, California. See NCSD Research Advisory Panel Member Richard Kahlenberg's review of the book here.
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School Diversity in the News
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On June 19th, Dana Goldstein of the New York Times published a report of integration efforts underway in Dallas public schools. Utilizing different approaches such as "transformation schools" and "innovation schools" the Dallas school system has made strides in bringing diverse students from charters and private schools back into the public system.
A recent report from UCLA reveals that middle school students from a wide range of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds feel safer, less bullied, and more supported in schools that are more diverse. This research has potentially significant implications for states considering school climate as a factor in their ESSA accountability plans.
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On June 7th, Kate Taylor of the New York Times reported on schools segregation in New York City Community School District 1. In this small, demographically diverse district, segregation is driven by parental choice rather than residential patterns, which does not fit the pattern that Mayor De Blasio has blamed for citywide school segregation.
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On Monday, June 26, the New York Times Editorial Board published an op-ed examining the recent expansion of district level school diversity efforts. Noting the abdication of federal leadership on the issue via the revocation of the Opening Doors, Expanding Opportunities grant program, the editors opine that progress on school integration is now up to district level interventions driven by local advocates. The article highlights efforts by districts and charter networks in
California, Florida, Iowa, New York, Minnesota and North Carolina as examples of local efforts to combat segregation, and calls on New York City's Mayor de Blasio to name segregated schools as an issue the city must address.
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Dates: August 2-5
Location: New York City, NY; Online
Main contact: Sarah Camiscoli, [email protected]
IntegrateNYC4me will be hosting the "IntegrateUS 2017 Summer Institute: Building a National Movement of Youth Leaders for Integration." The institute will join, train, and catalyze youth leaders and their adult allies to build their own chapters of Integrate in their communities and to realize the kind of transformation our nation's students know to be possible and feel to be necessary. If you are interested in joining the summer institute please click
here.
Learn more about IntegrateNYC4Me
here
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Upcoming Events of Interest
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National Coalition on School Diversity
c/o Poverty and Race Research Action Council
Mailing Address: 1200 18th St. NW #200 Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-544-5066
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