SEGREGATION, DESEGREGATION, RE-SEGREGATION:

LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT EQUITY IN OUR SCHOOLS

Presentation Outline of Dr. E. Wayne Harris

Equity Then and Now: Still a Necessity
Dr. E. Wayne Harris

October 5, 1999

  1. Four Phases of Court Cases Signal Public Policy

    • Phase One - Separate and Unequal

      • Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
      • Brown v. Topeka Board of Education - I (1954)

    • Phase Two - Efforts to Integrate

      • Brown v. Topeka Board of Education - II (1955)
      • Green v. New Kent County School Board (1968)
      • Alexander v. Homes County Board of Education (1969)
      • Swann v. Charlotte-Macklenberg Board of Education (1971)
      • Key v. Denver School District No. 1 (1973)

    • Phase Three - Efforts to Integrate Lose Momentum

      • Milliken v. Bradley - I (1974)
      • Milliken v. Bradley - II (1977)

    • Phase Four - Efforts to Dismantle Desegregation

      • Riddick v. Norfolk City, Virginia School Board (1986)
      • Oklahoma Board of Education v. Dowell (1991)
      • Freeman v. Pitts (1992)
      • Missouri v. Jenkins (1995)
      • Capacchione v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (1999)
      • Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (1999)

  2. Equity - What Is It? How Does It Look? How Does It Feel?

    The foundation for equity is the phenomena of demonstrated high(er) expectations!

    Equity is the distribution of resources and opportunities according to the needs of students.

  3. Continuing Challenges

    • Entry and Access to Resources and Opportunities.
    • Support of Potential
    • Achievement of Results
    • Fairness

      "We can whenever and where ever we choose successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need in order to do this. Whether we do must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven't so far." - Ron Edmonds

  4. Policy Challenges: Questions to Ponder and Debate

    • What policies need to be implemented which will move public education away from the quiet reversal of Brown v. Board of Education toward schools that succeed in preparing students for a successful multiracial society?

    • What policies are required to establish the distribution of resources to students and teachers so they will be prepared to meet high academic standards?

    • What actions must be taken to ensure that every student has access to competent and caring teachers and excellent teaching?

    • How can we initiate serious debate on the ways to achieve a successful multicultural society?

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Posted: October 11, 1999
By The Educational Policy Institute of Virginia Tech
sjanosik@vt.edu