Two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court have more potential local ramifications than most:
In a pair of cases that could reignite disputes over race and public education, the Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide what role affirmative action should play in assigning students to competitive spots in elementary and secondary schools.
The justices this fall will hear two appeals from Kentucky and Washington state.
A ruling could help clarify when and to what lengths state and local officials can go to promote diversity in K-12 education.
Fort Wayne has gone to extraordinary lengths to "promote diversity in K-12 education." In response to a lawsuit and intense pressure from the federal government, Fort Wayne Community Schools basically deconstructed itself and was rebuilt into something in which "racial balance" in each school was the primary education goal, which involves magnet schools to encourage parents to send their kids to schools all over the city and the end of the traditional connection between where one lived and where one went to school.
Some people think it's all been worth it, and that if these Supreme Court cases threatened the status quo here it would be a tragedy:
Court observers believe the decision to hear the appeals means the Supreme Court will begin to chip away at the tools schools and universities have effectively used to break down racial barriers. If that's the case, it would be unfortunate for all students affected. In Fort Wayne, residents should point to a system of schools strengthened by their diversity and to students well prepared for a society in which people of all colors and cultures must live and work in harmony.
"Schools strengthened by their diversity" is what supporters of the FWCS program usually say. But you usually hit what you aim at. If diversity or "racial balance" is the goal, that is what you will achieve; if you get any educational advances as a side benefit, all well and good, but they're certainly not guaranteed. Diversity is a societal goal, not an educational one (yes, yes, I know, they can overlap). I'd still like to see public schools primarily concerned with producing students who can read, write, do arithmetic and think clearly. I notice that supporters of all the heroic efforts to achieve racial balance seldom point to clear educational advantages. How can they, since public schools have been disintegrating for decades? Even if gains could be documented, which is doubtful, how does that balance against the elimination of the neighborhood school, which was an institution that held some challenged neighborhoods together?
Consider just two effects of magnet or "choice" programs, one touching all students and one just minority students.
1. Students are encouraged to choose themed middle schools -- ones emphasizing, say, the arts or aeronautics or whatever. If these kids aren't aiming toward a certain career, what's the point, and what aspects of a broader education have they lost by so much specialization? Most kids don't even begin to think about what to do with their lives until about halfway through high school, if then, and they probably shouldn't.
2. The sociological research used for Brown vs. Board of Education, which started all this, included the reason (cited by justices) that "separate but equal" schools are inherently unequal -- even if offerings are equal, the black students know they are being treated differently because of their race, and that has a psychological effect that can never be overcome. The goal of racial-balance plans is to assign students to schools because of their race. Blacks know very well this is all about them. Why wouldn't the psychological effect be the same? How often when the education etablishment says "White students must be exposed to other races so they won't be so isolated" (and that's the real message, no matter how it's expressed) do black students really hear "They don't think we'll get a good education unless we're in classes with a bunch of white students"?
I went to Central High School during its most racially mixed days, so I know both the value of diversity and what the other high schools were missing by not having it. I also understand the need to have a society in racial and ethnic harmony. But I don't think people really thought through the "getting there from here" part, and we've done damage to the education system that we might never be able to undo.
Comments
Leo,
I agree w/ much of what you say. I also support neighborhood schools and I believe the question should be "Why aren't neighborhood schools diverse?". Isn't that the real issue here? Why should the school system be solely responsible for solving the inequities in society? I genuinely believe that diversity is a strong attribute for any business or school to have, but should it be mandated and imposed by the school itself? I'm not so sure.
However, if your neighborhood school is failing to educate your child then you should have the option to send your child to another school - that's the kind of educational equality we should be striving for.
I also feel that many of the issues are caused by regimenting teachers into some pre-defined mold. Giving teachers the flexibility to teach will help. Accountability is good but all the structure in the curriculum is not helping teachers - they should be seen as guidelines. Also, sending children out of math class to attend religous studies probably isn't helping either. Kids attend public school to learn reading, math, science, etc - their parents should take them to church...
I've heard so much about how the "teachers" or the "schools" are to blame for one reason or another. The problem is farther UP the educational ladder.
The main trouble is the way kids "feel" about school. And the feelgood rhetoric was something thrust upon the educational system way back in the 70s. And thirty years later, we're not reaping ANY benefit for our progeny.
Neighborhood schools always seemed to work, until they mostly "went away"; replaced by the "corporations" and their mainstreaming venues vis-a-vis bussing anyone and everyone to anyplace...all in the *name* of diversity.
SO many schools that WERE segregated actually had MUCH higher graduation and promotion rates than most any school today (excepting the private schools & academies). And I'm not talking about white schools, but predominently black student populations. They did much better back then than they are doing today (and with a LOT less handouts, entitlements and freebies), and it was due to the FAMILY participation.
Yet in our rush to balance the educational equation, we forgot to take into consideration the changing face of society itself, and with it, the parenting "guidelines" (or subsequent lack thereof), and there is where a lot of the issues now lie.
You can "give" kids all the darn incentives you want (funded by the taxpaying public), but unless you can get their little butts INTO the classroom, and keep it there, none of it will amount to a hill of beans (although it will "look" and "feel" good).
Having teachers "teach for the test" (I-STEP+) serves no purpose but to make the beancounters and the statisticians happier than clams. And we see the results of this, as well as the dumbing down of most all schools to "allow" those disenfranchised kids (we used to call them LAZY) to "excel".
That is going nowhere in a hurry!
When parents start (en masse) to once again care about their children, become more accountable, as well as make their kids just as accountable and produce constructive, positive input back into the educational process...THEN, and only then will we see a change in the right direction (instead of the way it's headed now).
It's not that good education for ALL is not achieveable...it's just that it's not embraced and valued by those that need it the most.
Street Cred is more important than being intelligent apparently, and that trend has got to be reversed. We can already see the result, and the future doesn't paint a pretty picture.
Personal integrity and civility needs to be taught, and the earlier the better...for ALL, whatever your race, religion, or nationality.
B.G.