Use of Race in School Admission

by Lyn Newton | More from this Blogger

28 Jun 2007 02:10 PM

All knows America for its freedom of acceptance. It is known to be huge and diverse. It is likely to be the most diverse country in terms of race and ethnics. However, here we are some fifty-two years after the court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education. We are once again bringing school race issues to the courts.

In some instances we try so hard to 'fix' a problem that we only make it worse. The two school districts at question in Kentucky both had developed plans in order to prevent segregation at its public schools.

The school boards felt that they must use race as a determining factor for student placement in order to keep a racial balance among the schools.

Seattle schools allowed students to apply to the top ten district high schools. When some schools received more applications than others, the school board used race to determine which students were selected. The board wanted to keep a 40/% white/60% nonwhite balance.

If a student transferred into the school district and disturbed the racial balance created by the board, the student was denied admission to the school. In the first year of the plan, over 300 white students did not get to attend the school of their choice due to their race. Some of these students totally left the public school system because they were denied their choice of schools.

The situation in Jefferson County was very similar. The school board set a certain racial balance and admitted students based on the achieved balance.

The school district officials maintain that they are not denying students an education. All of the schools receive the same funding and programs. Therefore the students at all of the schools are receiving similar educations, they are only being denied the freedom to choose which school they attend.

Upset parents and students filed a lawsuit against the school districts for discrimination. Recently the courts made a ruling. Read the continuation to this blog for details.

Government in Education

Reasons I am Glad I Homeschool

Desegregation and the Supreme Court

Learn more about Lyn Newton

Lyn is a kindergarten teacher and mommy to a girl and a boy. In her spare time, she enjoys informative and creative writing.

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