Despite all the evidence the reveals the importance and benefits
of reducing racial isolation...
The study offers several recommendations for restoring equity provisions and integration in charter schools, including establishing new guidance and reporting requirements by the Federal government; federal funding opportunities for magnet schools, which have a documented legacy
of reducing racial isolation and improving student outcomes; and incorporating some features of magnet schools into charter schools.
With an approach like that, the proponents
of reducing racial isolation and protecting civil rights should simply say to Governor Malloy: «If you aren't going to be serious about your Constitutional and moral duty to Connecticut's minority students, then we'll see you in court!»
Addressing a crowded room of magnet school educators and supporters last week, Acting U.S. Secretary of Education John King explained his personal commitment to school diversity and the importance
of reducing racial isolation in schools.
Not exact matches
As Harvard professor Paul E. Peterson notes, one «attraction
of inner - city school choice is the possibility that a choice - based system could
reduce the
racial isolation within the central city.»
The new law calls for replicating magnet school programs that demonstrate «success in increasing student academic achievement and
reducing isolation of minority groups» and «increase
racial integration by taking into account socioeconomic diversity.»
After up to three years
of funding as a lighthouse school, the school must open as an interdistrict magnet school whose purpose is to
reduce racial, ethnic, and economic
isolation.
See our literature review and new resources K - 12 integration strategies that are being implemented and what we know about the design and implementation
of such policies that might create more diverse schools and
reduce racial isolation.
Last week the State Board
of Education announced its new initiative to
reduce racial isolation.
One
of the most significant problems associated with the overall
racial isolation issue is that the State
of Connecticut has been diverting more and more money away from the effort to
reduce isolation and, instead, spending it on charter schools.
First, public school choice programs (such as charter and interdistrict magnet schools) in Connecticut are all required by Connecticut law to provide children with an equal educational opportunity and to
reduce racial, ethnic, and economic
isolation of students (except technical schools).
The third is, «what impact have inter-district magnet schools had on
reducing the
racial, ethnic, and economic
isolation of students within the magnet school itself?»
The second is, «what impact have inter-district magnet schools had on
reducing the
racial, ethnic, and economic
isolation of Connecticut students?»
A statement by the state chapter
of the Northeast Charter Schools Network (NECSN) called the Voices report «puzzling» because charter schools are «Bringing educational opportunity to every child, particularly Connecticut's growing Hispanic population» and are «Providing the kind
of education that leads to college and career and
reduces racial and economic
isolation.»
«Connecticut law... is clear that public school choice programs (with the exception
of technical schools) have an obligation to
reduce racial, ethnic, and economic
isolation of students,» Voices reports.
When one
of the attorneys in the famous Sheff desegregation case said, «the state has an obligation to provide great, racially diverse schools,» Connecticut's Supreme Court agreed and ordered the legislature to take definitive action to
reduce racial isolation in the state's urban public schools.
(A) adequately demonstrate student progress, as determined by the commissioner, (B) comply with the terms
of its charter or with applicable laws and regulations, (C) achieve measurable progress in
reducing racial, ethnic and economic
isolation, (continued...)
What makes this issue particularly troubling is that Connecticut's new State Commissioner
of Education has repeatedly said he will work to expand charter schools in Connecticut even though it is clear from the evidence that most charter schools are unwilling or unable to be a part
of the overall effort to
reduce racial isolation in our state.
However, virtually every one
of Connecticut's major charter schools, all
of whom receive major state subsidies, are not only failing to
reduce racial isolation but are, in fact, significantly less racially diverse than the public schools in the same communities.
While proponents
of charter schools promised they would help
reduce racial isolation, Jumoke Academy, like every other urban charter school was actually more racially isolated than the surrounding community.
Forget that as a result
of the Sheff v. O'Neill case, Connecticut taxpayers are spending hundreds
of millions
of dollars every year to
reduce racial isolation in public schools.
Finally, many
of those who have supported the creation
of charter schools, including Connecticut's new Education Commissioner, have claimed that charter schools would be an important mechanism for
reducing racial isolation in Connecticut.
This literature review, developed by Dr. Erica Frankenberg for the IDRA EAC - South, surveys the landscape
of K - 12 integration strategies to understand what is being implemented and what we know about the design and implementation
of such policies that might create more diverse schools and
reduce racial isolation.
In Connecticut, interdistrict magnet schools receive special funding BECAUSE they are supposed to «
reduce, eliminate or prevent the
racial, ethnic or economic
isolation of public school students while offering a high - quality curriculum that supports educational improvement.»
While the State
of Connecticut spends hundreds
of millions
of dollars every year to
reduce racial isolation in our urban school districts, as required by Connecticut's Constitution and Courts, Governor Dannel Malloy is pumping more than $ 100 million a year into Connecticut Charter Schools despite the fact that they have become a primary vehicle for the segregation
of our public school system.
In her latest piece, education advocate and columnist Wendy Lecker dissects the utter failure
of Connecticut's charter schools to be part
of the solution when it comes to
reducing racial isolation.
The goals
of Open Choice are to
reduce racial, ethnic and economic
isolation and to increase academic achievement.
Legislators should support the replication
of charters that have created an exemplary school climate without relying on punishment
of exclusion, in particular those that also provide a diverse learning environment and help
reduce racial isolation.
The Department
of Education goes on to say that the purpose
of a magnet school is «to
reduce, eliminate or prevent the
racial, ethnic or economic
isolation of public school students while offering a high - quality curriculum that supports educational improvement.»