April 29th 2024.
A recent study conducted by the education nonprofit, Available To All, has revealed a concerning decline in equal access to quality education in the United States. This has resulted in the unfortunate resurgence of segregation in public schools. The study found that this is largely due to discriminatory enrollment policies and the legal segregation that still exists in some areas.
According to Axios, this phenomenon, known as "educational redlining," is exacerbated by strict zoning rules enforced by school districts. As a result, elite public schools have become highly stratified along racial lines. This has left parents like Kelley Williams-Bolar in a difficult position. Williams-Bolar, a Black woman, made headlines in 2011 when she used her father's address to enroll her children in a better school in Ohio. However, she was later arrested and spent nine days in jail for her actions.
The study was commissioned to mark the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, which officially ended racial segregation in schools. However, the study reveals that while the legal segregation may have ended, it has been replaced by other forms of segregation that continue to plague the education system.
As stated in the study's introduction, many public schools still use exclusionary maps to determine which students are eligible for enrollment. These maps are reminiscent of the discriminatory practices of the past, when the government drew maps to dictate who could receive housing assistance. This is a clear violation of the social contract of the education system and hinders children of color from fully participating in the American Dream.
The study also highlights the issue of admission discrimination, which is either allowed or even required by law. School administrators can exploit loopholes to maintain a specific demographic makeup in their schools. This further perpetuates the unequal access to education and goes against the principles of the education system.
While charter schools have been seen as a potential model for reform, the study also reveals that they too are affected by geographic discrimination. In its conclusion, the report recommends that parents be given true school choice, with schools being transparent about their enrollment decisions and open enrollment being made mandatory.
Additionally, the study suggests that public schools should be required to report their admissions and enrollment data to the Department of Education, with this information being made available to the public. They also propose significant changes to reduce the impact of geography on the education system, such as decriminalizing address sharing, which is currently selectively enforced. This would prevent parents like Williams-Bolar from facing legal consequences for simply wanting a better education for their children. As the study concludes, implementing such changes would go a long way in restoring the public's trust in the education system and fulfilling the promise of equal access to education for all.
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