Bush Opposes School Desegregation Plans That Close Educational Achievement Gap
Bush Opposes School Desegregation Plans That Close Educational Achievement Gap
Today, the Supreme Court considered a constitutional challenge to school desegregation plans in Seattle, WA and Louisville, KY. The stakes are high. From the Christian Science Monitor:
“This is about what is left, if anything, of Brown v. Board of Education,” Theodore Shaw, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said in a recent debate hosted by the Century Foundation. If the high court strikes down the Seattle and Louisville programs, “it will be a reversal of historic proportions,” he said.
Data collected pursuant to No Child Left Behind, Bush’s signature education initiative, shows that desegregating schools improves the educational achievement of minority students. A study examining the data by American Progress Affiliated Scholar Douglas Harris found:
– African Americans and Hispanics learn more in integrated schools. Minorities attending integrated schools also perform better in college attendance and employment.
– Controlled choice and other forms of desegregation benefit minority students.
– Racial integration is a rare case where an educational policy appears to improve educational equity at little financial cost.
President Bush has long claimed that reducing the educational achievement gap between white students and minority students is a priority. Here’s Bush on October 18:
We have an achievement gap in America that is — that I don’t like and you shouldn’t like. It’s the difference between reading of African American students and Latino students and white students. The gap is closing, and that’s incredibly important for the United States of America to see that achievement gap close. How do we know? Because we’re measuring.
And yet, “the Bush administration has taken the side of the parents who are suing the school districts” who are trying to desegregate schools.
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December 4th, 2006 at 2:35 pmAfrican Americans and Hispanics learn more in integrated schools. Minorities attending integrated schools also perform better in college attendance and employment.
But what about Whites and Asians? Do they learn less?
December 4th, 2006 at 2:41 pmThe study found that other groups fared about the same.
December 4th, 2006 at 2:42 pmBush the Divider – Bush is to America what Bolton is to the UN
December 4th, 2006 at 2:43 pmNo Child Left Behind has been one of the most insipid Orwellian monikers out of this Administration, when you look at what they’ve actually done.
My mother worked for a program called Upward Bound, helping minority and economically unstable students discover what they can do to get in college, despite barriers placed in front of them, and after YEARS of positive results, it was disbanded by the administration – as part of the No Child Left Behind act.
How are you championing the cause of education when you are doing so much to destroy the opportunities that attempt to level the playing field?
December 4th, 2006 at 2:45 pm“They” say the darkies were happier when skools were segregated.
December 4th, 2006 at 2:46 pm“They” really do. Heard it on NPR this morning.
The case in Seattle, is over the practice of using race as a tie breaker, when considering admission qualifications. If we truly want to live in a non racist world, we need to judge by the abilities of the student, not by the color of thier skin. I don’t know about the other lawsuit before the supreme court.
December 4th, 2006 at 2:47 pmOf course Bush sides with the white folks who have money.
December 4th, 2006 at 2:50 pmJudd
The study found that other groups fared about the same.
From the Study
the authors found that having a lower proportion of African American classroom peers has a positive influence on achievement for students in all racial groups.
The Study seems to say that more African American students in a school brings down grades for every racial group in the school. However the Study is large, and my attention span is not, so I might have missed something.
December 4th, 2006 at 2:51 pm“….If we truly want to live in a non racist world, we need to judge by the abilities of the student, not by the color of thier skin. I don’t know about the other lawsuit before the supreme court.
Comment by Krazny — December 4, 2006 @ 2:47 pm…”
I support a federal funded minmum for all schools depending on grade level.
I support there be no more “localized” funding of schools and the “wealth” be spread equally.
Mostly because of racism blacks havn’t moved much further in sallarys in comparison to their white counterparts for the older generations. subsequently they are still subject to lower school education quality.
Having a TRUELLY equal playing ground would call for a pool of money that all schools can draw from.
December 4th, 2006 at 2:53 pmI’m just as guilty of typos as the next cat. We’re all typing fast to make our point, and then going back to work or whatever esle we’re doing. But, man, when we’re talking about education, we should probably all make the extra effort to hit the ol’ spell-check, what do you say, folks? Nothing like rampant typos to further illustrate how NCLB has failed us all.
December 4th, 2006 at 2:57 pmThe “R” in Republican stands for Racist
December 4th, 2006 at 3:04 pmThe “D” in Democrat stands for dickhead!
December 4th, 2006 at 3:08 pmStudents regardless of race, class or sex should be given 1 year to demonstrate a desire to learn. Those that do not . . . . Battle Royale! (joke)
Seriously, maybe we could consider restructuring schools to actually provide real world skills? I agree that a general knowledge of all things is nice; but ultimately knowing how to deal with insurance companies, buying a car, picking a decent health plan, dealing with all aspects of a death in the family, marriage, and oh, perhaps having an actual SKILL, etc . . seems much more useful for most people than knowing the square root of 224. For those going to college, yes, a general knowledge is great; but for those where high school is the end?? . . . . they’re prepared for nothing.
December 4th, 2006 at 3:11 pmoff topic, yet relavent… this reminded me of something i heard earlier:
Mostly because of racism blacks havn’t moved much further in sallarys …
Comment by YouCantHandleDaTruth — December 4, 2006 @ 2:53 pm
heard CAPs christy on franken this morning …
December 4th, 2006 at 3:12 pmgood news: the salary gap between men and women is closing…
no, women are not making more money… right – men are making less…
…
Oldtree,
I disagree that Bush is racist, he is alot of things, but I don’t think racist is among the. I do think he is a classist, and has no understanding to sympathy for the poor. New Orleans was more about the poor then about race.
December 4th, 2006 at 3:20 pmWhat I don’t understand about this whole thing is don’t public schools have a zone where all the kids inthat zone go to that school? I don’t have a child old enough to go to school yet so I may be wrong. Doesn’t that zone determine who goes to what school or do they have to bus kids in from out of the zone to make the percentages?
December 4th, 2006 at 3:24 pmThe Seattle case was brought to challenge specific wording in the law that mandated race as a tie breaker between whites and “non-whites” who where trying to get into the school of their choice. This painfully generalized wording failed to recognize the profoundly heterogeneous nature of Seattle’s public school district and ended up causing far more problems than it solved. At least in Seattle, the law suit was very carefully worded to not challenge affirmative action , rather, it challenged Seattle’s method of applying affirmative action in this particular case.
December 4th, 2006 at 3:34 pmdlet
The zone, as you called it, is the “school district” which can be quite large, especially in big cities and there can, therefore, be many elementary, middle, and high schools. Within that school district, the single neigborhood school in the middle of a predominately “black neighborhood” would have mostly black students (and similarly for “white neighborhood”) without desegregation efforts. Desegregation efforts, including busing, divide students into schools within the district in ways other than strict location of the home to get better racial balance. There is no desegration efforts from one school district to another, such as between a city school district and a suburban school district.
December 4th, 2006 at 3:39 pmthat mandated race as a tie breaker between whites and “non-whites†who where trying to get into the school of their choice
Comment by Andrew
If that is the case then that is just plain wrong. A tie-breaker decided upon th ecolor of your skin is a slap in the face no matter which way the decision goes.
December 4th, 2006 at 3:40 pmGuess Ray Nagin had nothing to doo with New Orleans. Why didn’t he evacuate people instead of letting busses sit in a parking lot?
December 4th, 2006 at 3:41 pmIf that is the case then that is just plain wrong. A tie-breaker decided upon th ecolor of your skin is a slap in the face no matter which way the decision goes.
Amen to this.
December 4th, 2006 at 3:44 pmThe zone, as you called it, is the “school districtâ€
Comment by PatrioticLiberalChristian(PLC)
Thanks. For the life of me I couldn’t recall that term. I knew it but my brain froze.
Desegregation efforts, including busing, divide students into schools within the district in ways other than strict location of the home to get better racial balance. There is no desegration efforts from one school district to another, such as between a city school district and a suburban school district.
Comment by PatrioticLiberalChristian(PLC)
So then desegregation happens within a school district that has more than one school that is available to the students, correct?
December 4th, 2006 at 3:52 pmdlet
Generally, correct, although “available” is defined by the school district. Some school districts allow parents to apply to enroll in any school building in the district. Other districts restrict the student to attend a particular school building. Its gotten a lot more complex since I was a teacher. School districts are trying to be more accommodating to parents, trying to allow choice because of the threat of private school funding with state funds, and trying to respond to the challenges of state and federal “report cards” for the schools themselves as well as respond to integration requirements.
December 4th, 2006 at 4:02 pmPLC,
December 4th, 2006 at 4:28 pmThanks for the info. Much more complicated than I origionally thouoght. I will have to do some research on this. My girl is only three months old but you can never be prepared too soon.
dlet
With children, you can prepare all you want and still not be ready for what comes at you! Enjoy her, because (as you’ve probably heard) she won’t stay little long. It seems like last year my daughter was a couple of years old and now she’s got a two year daughter of her own (grandchildren are great – less planning, more enjoyment!).
December 4th, 2006 at 4:35 pmI am sick and tired of racists and bigots in this country. The only way they can elevate themselves is by standing on the necks of others – and in this case, it is children. I feel I am in a time warp.
December 4th, 2006 at 4:46 pmParents are teaching their children to be prejudiced – like the old song, “they have to be carefully taught.”
Guess Ray Nagin had nothing to doo with New Orleans. Why didn’t he evacuate people instead of letting busses sit in a parking lot?
Comment by robert — December 4, 2006 @
Robert,
As I recall people were evacuated and told to leave by order of decree 1-1.5 weeks before the storm.The ones who didn`t leave either willingly or unwillingly or for other reasons are the victims.
What would you have done?
December 4th, 2006 at 4:51 pmUgh. We’re torturing people. We’re spying on our citizens illegally. We’re desegregating schools.
What the hell country am I in?!
December 4th, 2006 at 5:07 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/profile?user=seeprogress
Race and the Courts – Mark Agrast discussed on Fox News today watch it now on SEEPROGRESS
Bolton Resigns… Spencer Boyer Reacts on SEEPROGRESS
Should You Wait To Start Your Holiday Shopping? Christian Weller reveals tis the season to _____ ?
And
Is the Air Youre Breathing Killing You? A new Center for American Progress report on air quality has news 158 million Americans need to know, are youone of them?
Tune into SEEPROGRESS, the new video channel of the Center for American Progress.
Who is thinking about the lives of everyday Americans?
December 4th, 2006 at 5:13 pmWE ARE.
http://www.americanprogress.org
These schools’ rigid and unthinkingly mechanical use of race is unconstitutional, and it rests on a misunderstanding of what “integration” means.
The Seattle and Louisville schools assume that a school that is racially “imbalanced” (in the sense that it has mostly whites, or mostly blacks) cannot be “integrated.”
But the Supreme Court has rejected that argument over and over again. For example, in the school desegregation case of Freeman v. Pitts (1992), the Justices warned that “racial balance is not to be achieved for its own sake.” Similarly, in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the Supreme Court emphasized that “racial balancing” is “patently unconstitutional.”
The Solicitor General and the Department of Education are thus right to oppose the racial quotas adopted by the Seattle and Jefferson County schools in cases before the Supreme Court.
Marcus claims that the Seattle Schools are using race to promote a “melting pot.” But the Seattle Schools have loudly rejected what they call “unsuccessful concepts such as a melting pot.”
Moreover, their actions seem to be the product of racial stereotyping. In addition to claiming that “individualism” is a form of “cultural racism,” the Seattle Schools have made the truly outlandish claim that that planning ahead (”future time orientation”) is a white characteristic that it is racist to expect minority students to exhibit.
Moreover, different minority groups in the Seattle Schools are lumped together under a single quota that treats all minorities as being alike.
As a result, if a school has a lot of black students, a Hispanic or Native American student can be prevented from going there, even if the school has no Hispanics or Native Americans. That reinforces, rather than prevents, segregation, and prevents integration.
Thus, the Court should strike down the Seattle Schools’ use of race in student assignment, which treats students differently based on their skin color, and undermines the goal of making America a melting pot.
December 4th, 2006 at 5:22 pmThe Study seems to say that more African American students in a school brings down grades for every racial group in the school. However the Study is large, and my attention span is not, so I might have missed something.
Comment by squegeeboo — December 4, 2006 @ 2:51 pm
I have two black students in my classes. They are in the same period, and the hold the second and third highest grades in their class.
I have two first generation Latinos in my classes, who are also in the same period. And they hold the first and fifth highest grades in my class.
If the grades of white kids (the rest) have declined as a result of having black and Latino kids in theclassroom it is ONLY because they are beling out-performed by the black and Latino students.
December 4th, 2006 at 5:58 pmParents are teaching their children to be prejudiced – like the old song, “they have to be carefully taught.â€
Comment by Marie — December 4, 2006 @ 4:46 pm
I’ve seen studies that suggest prejudism does not exist in very young children, and does not begin to emerge unless they are taught to judge people by innate traits that they do not control.
Bigotry is like a disease – you have to catch it. Appalling that some willingly give it to their offspring.
December 4th, 2006 at 6:00 pmIf the busing is ONLY done for racial quotas, then it is wrong. People should not be forced to send their kids across town just for the sake of mizing people up. This is stupid, not to mention wasteful..
HEY!!! Ever figure out how much fuel those busses chew up, how much they contribute to global warming, and how much fuel they waste trying to accomplish this. I remember when I was first bussed across town. Instead of getting up at 6:30 I had to get up at 5:30 and ride a bus for an hour. Did it benefit anyone? Not really. Is it going to matter to Ted Kennedy and his family? Not really, they are all going to private schools anyways.
I think a key element to this decision making, should be that not a single persons who’s children will be affected by these decisions, should be allowed to attend a private school.
So, we have hundreds upon thousand of gallons of fuel being wasted, contributing to global warming, and I guess nobody has figured our that simply equal quality education, books, teachers, materials across the board to all schools would probably do more to make the playing field equal than all this waste.
December 4th, 2006 at 6:03 pmRe: #9
It took a pretty patient eye to find something like that on page 12 and take it out of context. Don’t slight yourself: You worked hard to twist the study.
The context of that passage is that having a lower proportion of African American peers, i.e. an integrated school that is not virtually all African American, helps improve achievement for all racial groups. So it helps the few white and latino students in a largely black school if the school is better integrated and not lopsided black.
The study says integration is beneficial all around:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2006/11/lostlearning.html
December 4th, 2006 at 6:35 pm
“prejudism” … can that be taught?
December 4th, 2006 at 7:05 pmlet’s hope not…
“prejudism†… can that be taught?
let’s hope not…
Comment by katy — December 4, 2006 @ 7:05 pm
Someone learnt it
The “D†in Democrat stands for dickhead!
Comment by Flaco — December 4, 2006 @ 3:08 pm
See?
December 4th, 2006 at 7:13 pmIf Bush interferes with this case, let him. This will be another reason why history will give Bush’s regime the treatment that it deserves. No Child Left Behind, my ass.
December 4th, 2006 at 7:25 pmGuess Ray Nagin had nothing to doo with New Orleans. Why didn’t he evacuate people instead of letting busses sit in a parking lot?
I am no Nagin fan but damn, can you possibly parrot Hannity more? Which buses (one s, dumbass)? The ones under water? The ones with no drivers because said drivers were worried about saving their families? Or the ones under FEMA control? Which ones?
December 4th, 2006 at 8:51 pmIf the busing is ONLY done for racial quotas, then it is wrong. People should not be forced to send their kids across town just for the sake of mizing people up. This is stupid, not to mention wasteful..
I would agree with this if our government tried to give our minority schools the same support as our white schools. But you and I both know…they don’t.
December 4th, 2006 at 8:54 pm#35 At least ole squeegie is good at something. Be a little more supportive!!
December 4th, 2006 at 8:55 pmno one can teach you anything. you’re too stupid.
do you have so little that you get off on the petty errors of people far smarter, more accomplished and way cooler than you? seems so, because you are transparent when you behave in this juvenile and patronizing manner. and before you criticize others’ spelling mistakes, you really should learn to type your own posts instead of cutting and pasting other peoples’ words all the time.
speaking of isms; plagerism can be taught. you could open an academy with what you know about it. why don’t you fix yourself. your mistakes are far bigger than semantics.
December 4th, 2006 at 8:57 pmre:39 Which busses?
The ones Republicans wish they could make people of color sit in the back of again the way Strom Thurmond would have done it had he been elected President. Republicans are addicted to slavery. Apparently the NAFTA/CAFTA outsourced slave labor has Republicans all hot and bothered begging for a return to the good ole slave ownin’ days.
December 4th, 2006 at 8:59 pmdo you have so little that you get off on the petty errors of people far smarter, more accomplished and way cooler than you?
Want to go on Jeopardy, bitch?
December 4th, 2006 at 9:14 pmno one can teach you anything. you’re too stupid.
do you have so little that you get off on the petty errors of people far smarter, more accomplished and way cooler than you? seems so, because you are transparent when you behave in this juvenile and patronizing manner. and before you criticize others’ spelling mistakes, you really should learn to type your own posts instead of cutting and pasting other peoples’ words all the time.
speaking of isms; plagerism can be taught. you could open an academy with what you know about it. why don’t you fix yourself. your mistakes are far bigger than semantics.
Comment by Insecurity is your Middle Name — December 4, 2006 @ 8:57 pm
aka unbelievable… i thought you were above that…
December 4th, 2006 at 10:29 pmyou didn’t spell the word wrong – you made up a word… kinda funny…
good you have such a high opinion of yourself… that’s very important!
but kinda funny when the pot calls the kettle black, huh…
’s ok…
Katy, no way that is unbelievable. Unless she became a righty?
December 4th, 2006 at 10:53 pmI give Unbelievable more credit than that.
December 4th, 2006 at 11:20 pmKaty, no way that is unbelievable. Unless she became a righty?
Comment by JPark
JPark is right, katy. When has unbelievable every hesitated to tell you off over her own name? This is something else. You two are doing so well ignoring each other!
December 4th, 2006 at 11:22 pmI own Insecurity. Unbelievable would be a lot tougher to insult into obscurity.
December 4th, 2006 at 11:32 pmSpeaking of education, the word “data” is plural for “datum.”
December 4th, 2006 at 11:44 pmThen again, when has anybody ever collected datum?
December 4th, 2006 at 11:48 pmeducated guess, guys… start here:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/01/prager-muslim-ellison/#comment-1218614
i think she was ‘’shut up” also, and “makes me want to gag” (or something like that) before that… same kind of digs…
it’s true she’s never hesitated to tell me off as ‘unbelivable’ before (see above link), but i think she’s enjoying this ploy now…
and, as far as ignoring each other, guess i broke the spell this time, again, but why should that be such a crime… thin skinned thing, she is… and what i’ve said is pretty tame compared to her responses… she’s quite a nasty little snipe, that’s for sure… “reformed republican”… eh?
just sayin’…
December 5th, 2006 at 12:18 amwell – i just found the clue that may prove my guess wrong…
could also be a ruse… this is on the FAST thread:
because both are for smart people. my 9 year old son doesn’t get it either. you’re about his speed. maybe a bit slower.
Comment by Insecurity is your Middle Name — December 4, 2006 @ 9:28 pm
so, my 2nd guess is … no… i’ll keep that to myself, for now…
December 5th, 2006 at 12:36 amnot gonna lose sleep over it either…
I am no Nagin fan but damn, can you possibly parrot Hannity more? Which buses (one s, dumbass)? The ones under water? The ones with no drivers because said drivers were worried about saving their families? Or the ones under FEMA control? Which ones?
Comment by JPark
Let me explain something simple to you, THE BUSES WERE NOT UNDERWATER UNTIL AFTER THE STORM. It is not like Nagin didn’t have warning that Katrina was coming in. But like so many others, his attitude was “Let the Feds handle it”. Instead of taking responsability for his city, he passed the buck.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:31 amPlease, we all know the answer is to destroy the teacher’s unions that have undermined skills based training for future employment, and replaced it with liberal indoctrination programs, especially for blacks and hispanics.
Children who can afford to escape to private schools, whether white or black, perform much better, and are more successful in their careers, than public school children of any stripe.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:03 am[...] Supreme Court set to rule against “what is left, if anything, of Brown v. Board of Education.” After hearings yesterday on two schools’ racial integration programs, “the only question was how far the court would go in ruling such plans unconstitutional.” [...]
December 5th, 2006 at 9:03 amRace-Based School Assignment Cases Before the Supreme Court…
My latest Washington Examiner column is about the two race-based school assignment cases currently before the Supreme Court.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:14 amWhite parents in Seattle and Jefferson County, Kentucky, sued the school districts for assigning students to schools based on…
U use gasoline or any petrolium based product then u asshat support the
Corporate Oil & War Machine Monopoly
See Asshat hyprocrite
Comment by Republican Corporate Oil & War Machine Monopoly
December 5th, 2006 at 12:01 pmYou people are amazingly dim whitted…..Chances are you have never been bused away from your neighborhood, never had close relationship with any minorities, and probably think that affirmitive action is the end all be all. Oh did I mention northerners where other than the cities there are very few minorities…..At least in the New south folks try to live together. Up north you are still trying to tell everyone how to live…….
December 5th, 2006 at 5:40 pmYou said that Bush is for desegregation? I am lost I thought thats what you are for. the last section is worded a little funny.
December 6th, 2006 at 9:04 amWe’re torturing people. We’re spying on our citizens illegally. We’re desegregating schools.
What the hell country am I in?!
Comment by jake3988 — December 4, 2006 @ 5:07 pm
Jake, you forgot to mention that our Property Rights have been taken
December 6th, 2006 at 12:28 pm[interpreted] away. Does no one remember Kelo..?
This adminastration not only hasn’t any marals they are also lacking a vision of a better future. An investment in education of our children today will enrich us in the future. Better education means better jobs more tax payers, less crime and prisons, ect.
December 8th, 2006 at 9:10 pmPeople that do not teach or have experience in the public schools should not have a voice when it comes to segregation, White teachers are not only being mistreated by the black teachers, but much racism is against hispanics (teachers and students) and whites (1 % of campus). The students do not think they need to obey or listen to white teachers. When a white teacher tries to discipline a black student, they are called racist by the student. The black instructional aids refuse to do their jobs when a white or hispanic teacher makes a request. The black parents yell racist when a teacher holds the same expectation for the black student as they do the white or hispanic student. The black parents want to be integrated but do not seem happy about whites teaching their children. You can’t please the black people. They have huge chips on their shoulders (MAD AT THE WORLD). And for those that do not teach , keep your mouths closed. You are very ignorant as to the reality of the situation.
February 10th, 2007 at 12:27 amIf I were parent and had a my child (white) in some of the classrooms that I have been in, I would demand that my child be removed and placed in a classroom with whites. The classrooms of black studens are out of control. Teaching is not going on because the kids are out of control and controlling the classrooms. Many people are in the dark and do not have a clue of what is actually happening in the classrooms. No support from home. There should not be a right to a free and public education. FREE , PUBLIC needs to change so those students that want to learn are able to concentrate and do not have to put up with the bullshit that goes. It is appalling.
February 10th, 2007 at 12:41 am