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Confronting the Graduation Rate Crisis in the South |
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Press Release Cambridge, MA--October 12, 2005--It is necessary, practical and legal for school districts to voluntarily desegregate, concludes a study by the nation’s oldest civil rights organizations and research centers of two leading universities. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the importance of diversity in education; this manual explains how to apply this law to diversify public schools.“Looking to the Future” is designed to help parents, students, community leaders, school board members, administrators, and attorneys understand the legal, political, and policy issues related to the promotion of racial and ethnic diversity in public schools. More than fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, which ended legally sanctioned public school segregation, our nation’s schools are becoming increasingly segregated by income, class and race. Over the years, a number of school districts, including some that resisted desegregation in the past, have come to realize the value of racial and ethnic diversity in our K-12 public schools. Yet, many remain confused about whether and to what extent race may be used as a factor in voluntary desegregation efforts. “Looking to the Future: Voluntary School Integration” seeks to provide greater clarity on that issue. The manual explains and describes how to apply recent federal court cases from around the United States which uphold the ability of school districts to voluntarily desegregate themselves and obtain the educational and societal benefits of diversity in our schools.The manual summarizes the research that demonstrates the profound educational and societal benefits of diversity in our schools. “Looking to the Future” reviews the student assignment strategies and legal considerations at work when school districts pursue these kinds of voluntary methods of achieving racial and ethnic diversity. The manual concludes with suggestions for concrete steps that can be taken to promote racial integration, and to implement policies and practices that foster positive, integrative learning environments for all students. More and more, school districts across the country are trying to further racial diversity on their own accord as a core part of their educational mission. “Looking to the Future” is intended to help school districts use this important legal tool to achieve an end that we all want- a diverse and well educated public school system that provides equal opportunity to all. “Looking to the Future” was prepared by
the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, The Civil Rights Project
of Harvard University, and the Center for the Study of Race and
Law at the University of Virginia School of Law. For a copy of “Looking
to the Future,” visit our website at: http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/resources/manual/deseg_manual.php For Media Inquiries: Erica Frankenberg
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