New Strategies to Fix New York's Separate but Unequal Schools
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July 24, 2007
The Supreme Court decision eliminating racial integration as a means to seek academic equity has prompted a new strategy in New York -- achieving racial balance by making schools equally productive in both rich and poor districts. Seven billion dollars over the next four years will be used help level the educational experience for the state's children. Billy Easton with the Alliance for Quality Education, speaks on the underlying issues.
"There are racial disparities, and there are disparities based on the income level of school districts, so students should not be left back based on their zip code or their race."
Easton says the funding is possible thanks to a commitment from the governor and to the resolution of a lawsuit over equal school districts, filed over 14 years ago by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity.
"Finally, with Governor Spitzer, we got a remedy which will increase state funding for public schools over the next four years by seven billion dollars, predominantly to the highest-need school districts."
Easton believes the issue now is spending the money wisely on such proven strategies as smaller classrooms, pre-kindergarten, and reaching students with the greatest needs.
He notes that one out of three New York students fails to graduate high school, and in some districts, half the students drop out.
"If we're not preparing these kids to get out of high school, there's no way they're prepared to succeed in college or the job market. And in the long run, it's all of us who pay the price for that."