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Symposium Abstract
The published articles from the 2007 Symposium open with Shalina R. Deo's Where Have All the Lovings Gone?: The Continuing Relevance of the Movement for a Multiracial Classification After Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1. Deo assesses how racial classification, especially in the U.S. Census, has an enormous impact on the make up of public schools. She debates the efficacy of a "multiracial" census category versus the "check all that apply" approach endorsed by the Supreme Court in Parents Involved in Cmty. Sch. v. Seattle Sch. Dist. No. 1. She critiques the Court’s approach, fearing it will lead to continuing "disregard of the contemporary effects of a race-conscious history" and the presumption that ignoring the issue of race will make it disappear.
In No Brown Towns: Anti-Immigrant Ordinances and Equality of Educational Opportunity for Latina/os, Tom I. Romero critiques the Supreme Court’s allowance of "de facto" segregation in American schools, noting that the recent increase in "anti-illegal immigrant" laws reveal how racial animus still exists in the U.S, influencing housing choices and hence the student body makeup of classrooms. Romero argues that this approach is counter to what the Supreme Court has asserted in cases such as Brown v. Board. These ordinances and the denial of equal education opportunities for Latinos are intertwined in Romero’s analysis, and to deny so does a great disservice to America school children.
Deanna R. Peterson introduces the purpose of charter school in American education in Charter Schools: Leaving No Child Behind. Why Were Charter Schools Formed and What Makes Them Successful?. Peterson focuses on what factors can make charter schools successful, and provides evidence of their achievements in certain settings. She asserts that by continuing to provide strong educational programs and high expectations, charter schools can be a large part of reaching national education goals.
In Choice, Integration and Educational Opportunity: Evidence on Competitive Incentives for Student Sorting in Charter Schools, Christopher Lubienski and Peter Weitzel examine empirical research on segregation in and across charter schools. Specifically, they consider marketing and locational strategies employed by charter schools in three urban areas. They conclude that, contrary to the stated goals of charter schools, many are operating to respond to "perverse incentives for pursuing students who are less costly to educate and are more likely to come from homes associated with academic advantage."
In Public School Segregation and Community Social Capital, Hinckley A. Jones-Sanpei addresses how, despite important Supreme Court decisions such as Brown v. Board, American public education in the last thirty years has increasingly been marked by racial and socioeconomic segregation, with a legal trend towards colorblindness. The author then discusses the consequences of attending segregated and desegregated schools, focusing on interracial relationships in adulthood and "general community social capital." Jones-Sanpei concludes by explaining how increased segregation in public schools damages community cohesiveness and social trust.
In Unintended Educational and Social Consequences of the No Child Left Behind Act, Liz Hollingworth criticizes NCLB’s focus on student testing and school accountability for unequal progress. She examines how this focus has not changed the real life circumstances of inner-city school children who still must overcome significant barriers in order to succeed academically. The author concludes by showing how race and class are still inextricably bound to unequal educational achievement in America and why these issues must be addressed before NCLB will have to desired success sought by legislators.
In No Child Left Behind: Racial Equal Educational Opportunity Through School Finance Litigation, Preston C. Green, III, Joseph O. Oluwole, and Bruce D. Baker illuminate how part of No Child Left Behind’s remedy plan to achieve educational parity includes race-conscious funding. They examine the remedy aspects of NCLB, including problems inherent in the current plan. Finally, the authors posit that differential funding can provide educational opportunities in high-minority districts and conclude that the Supreme Court may deem such race-conscious funding constitutional based on recent decisions.
Finally, Tracy-Elizabeth Clay, Esq. gave the key note speech titled "Changing the Conversation: A Perspective on the No Child Left Behind Act." Clay discusses the nation’s educational issues from the perspective of Teach for America participants. She highlights the achievement gaps still existent in the wake of No Child Left Behind and suggests solutions to closing those gaps, namely "high academic expectations for students, highly effective teachers and highly effective school leaders."
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Symposium Articles
Shalina R. Deo, Where Have All the Lovings Gone?: The Continuing Relevance of the Movement for a Multiracial Classification After Parents Invovled in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1.
Tom I. Romero, No Brown Towns: Anti-Immigrant Ordinances and Equality of Educational Opportunity for Latina/os.
Deanna R. Peterson, Charter Schools: Leaving No School Behind. Why Were Charter Schools Formed and What Makes Them Successful?
Christopher Lubienski & Peter Weitzel, Choice, Intergration and Educational Opportunity: Evidence On Competitive Incentives for Student Sorting in Charter Schools.
Hinckley A. Jones-Sanpei, Public School Segregation and Community Social Capital.
Liz Hollingworth, Unintended Educational and Social Consequences of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Preston C. Green, III, Joseph O. Oluwole, & Bruce D. Baker, No Child Left Behind: Racial Equal Educational Opportunity Through School Finance Litigation.
Tracy-Elizabeth Clay, "Changing the Conversation: A Perspective on the No Child Left Behind Act."
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