The Relationship Between School Choice And Segregation

Public education has had a negative effect on students; it’s often because of the bigger class sizes, poor test scores, and high crime in the surrounding areas. Public schools need to revise their system to determine what’s the best fit for their student’s educational needs. All children who live in a school district have a right to attend a district school. Many parents would like more options and opportunities for their child, and would like to be involved in their child’s education. Charter schools are part of the answer for a better educational choice for children’s academic achievement. Charter schools have many successful methods and continue to pave the way for children’s education needs .

In her article on school segregation, Hannah-Jones describes how the school district which Ferguson resident Michael Brown graduated from, ranked last in overall performance for Missouri schools. The death of Michael Brown in August 2014 spurred riots not only in St. Louis, but also in other cities nationwide. Hannah-Jones states how many St. Louis area school districts have “returned to the world of separate and unequal”, which was widespread before the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision. Black and white children in the St. Louis region are educationally divided,

Charter schools are unique public schools that is allowed the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. These charter schools are not private schools, they do not charge for tuition and they are open to all children within specific boundaries. Research has demonstrated that charter schools make picks up in the urban community with students who have veritably been undeserved by traditional state funded schools. Charter schools outscored their traditional school peers in 25 of the 41 cities in math, and 23 of the 42 cities in reading. On average, charter schools had no significant impacts on student’s achievement. Charter schools help enhance student learning, empower the utilization of new and imaginative educating strategies, and give schools an approach to move from a lead based to an execution based arrangement of responsibility. Public schools are like charter schools except for the freedom that a charter school has. And private school is based on tuition and that is funded by charities and tax holders in that community.

This essay will be on the Segregation in Modern American Schools, how it affects the students, why it occurs, and the strides need to integrate. I picked this topic because I came from a town that was predominantly white. Therefore my school was predominantly white as well. I have always wondered if coming from this type of school has hindered my ability to interact with people of a different race, culture, or background. I also thought of how my education would have been different if I had been taught at a more diverse school. I would have learned more about other types of people not only from my teachers, but from my peers. I have always been interested in this topic and I think it affects more people than we think. Of course, it affects the students, but it also affects the teacher and the mass public. Culturally segregated schools are hindering learning environments. Black teachers teach at black schools, White teachers teach at white schools, so on and so forth with every race. The public is affected; because the schools in their area are not divers meaning their community is not diverse. Diversity is a catalyst for growth in all people. School and education is a great place to start the

Charter schools differ from traditional public schools on three basic principles: accountability, choice and autonomy. Charter schools are held accountable for their ability to educate students, management of finances and handle operations. If they do not meet the guidelines established by the charter they are closed. They give families a choice as to what school their children will attend. Finally, charter schools have more autonomy than traditional public schools. They are able to make their own decisions regarding curriculum and school governance and can focus on academic achievement instead of bureaucracy. (“Resistance Hinders Success,” 2004)

With the advancement of thinking in the United States since the Jim Crow era, shouldn’t school segregation be a thing of the past? Well, this is an ongoing epidemic in the United States, and it has a dangerous effect on the youth. School segregation rates are at an all time high, and the main reason for this increase is residential segregation, or segregation of neighborhoods. Although school segregation can be a result of economic policy, housing policies have a greater influence on segregation. Many neighborhoods that are classified as low income, have a negative connotation attached with them. This causes a difference in funding of schools located in those districts, and those students end up paying the price.

In 1982, racial segregation in public schools began over the United States Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson’s, “separate but equal” doctrine, that lasted until the early 1950’s. This precedent legally enabled “separate” facilities for black students and white students as long as they were “equal”. During the turn of the 19th century, the term “Jim Crow” was used to refer to African Americans. This term would later be used as the name of the laws that kept African Americans from public functions and places. It would not be until 1954, that the “separate but equal” doctrine would be changed for good.

Ayscue, Jennifer B., Brian Woodward, John Kucsera, Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, and Gary Orfield. “Segregation Again: North Carolina’s Transition from Leading Desegregation Then to Accepting Segregation Now.” Research. School Segregation in the Eastern States. Los Angeles:

A deterrent for the wanting to start a charter school is the high barrier of entry for a new firm. Charter schools have high start-up costs with little federal and state funding to help. With charter schools boasting a total of $2 billion in accounting profit per year, charter schools appear to be doing well for themselves ("Charter Schools in the US", 'Industry at a Glance'). However, charter schools are run as non-profit organizations, and the profits are recycled back into the school. One of the strongest arguments for charter schools is the idea that it gives children in urban areas a chance at a higher level of education offered than that of a traditional school within that district. Statistics show that twenty-nine percent of charter school students are African-American while only fifteen percent of traditional school students are African-American. Latino students also make up three percent more of the student body of charter schools relative to traditional schools. Over half of the charter schools in the U.S. are in urban areas while roughly only one-third of the traditional schools lie within the urban areas ("Charter Schools in the US", Industry Performance tab, 'Exceptional Growth' paragraph).

Yes these schools seem to be segregated by race with African American being the majority’s in all schools. Roland Park Elementary have some Asian and Hispanic/Latino attending, but also in this school the vast majority is African American. When attending an all dominantly black school I don’t believe it segregated by poverty, I think it’s based on the neighborhood and environment. Most of the family in the neighborhood could be single parents living in most of these areas or it could be in each school distinct your zip code could predict what schools you child will attend. After junior high most kids have a choice in the schools they would like to attend, but they met be lacking the skills needed to compete in these other schools. It’s hard

I attended private schools in California for the majority of my youth, up until I pleaded with my grandmother to allow me to enroll in public school. Well eventually she surrendered and permitted me to attend school for a year in Memphis, TN where my mom resided. Now my first day of public school in the south was extremely confusing. Other children continuously told me “I talk white” which I had never heard before, so I chalked it up to my California accent. But once my year was up I decided to return to California and I asked my grandmother what they meant by the phrase “I talk white.” She explained to me that the majority race in my school was African Americans who couldn’t relate to how I spoke and that people in the south had a southern

Charter schools are basically tax-payer funded, independent public schools that are free from several of the regulations and laws that traditional public schools are governed by. They are instead; constrained by a contract that specifies the mission of the school, its academic goals and procedures for accountability. The initial charter school was opened in 1992 as an answer to the restriction of educational choice and the need to restructure the public education system. Most charter schools are run by for-profit organizations and compose the principle elements for the privatization shift in education and their goals are increased academic achievement. Since charter schools are less restricted by the normal regulations of traditional public

Charter schools must be in compliance with and follow the open enrollment process and its

Many charter schools are known for their rigorous programs that challenge students to fulfill specific requirements that are different from traditional schools. Charter schools also value the idea of cultivating students with a talent for arts, technology or music (Chen). Institutions such as charter schools may be viewed as open or loosely constructed based on the unique guidelines displayed in each school’s charter, but in reality this is untrue because the individuality of each charter is what allows each student to excel based on the personalization and attention given to every single student who attends. A charter school has the potential to reach out into the community and help children who are not able to fit in at a traditional public school and it may allow the student to learn from a new perspective. Any child is allowed to apply to a charter school and they are admitted on a first-come, first served basis or through a lottery. The decision is not made on race or sex of the child and there is a fair chance for every student. A charter school is a great alternative to private school because there is no tuition fee at a charter school which is run by the state. Operators of the charter schools are able to provide children with a school that will create new and improved services which are lacking in the public school districts (“Charter School FAQ”). A charter school can also help

A benefit of placing charter schools in a school district is school choice. Parents appear to support the option of deciding where their children attend school. According to Andy Smarick, “In New York, 12,000 students are on charter wait lists; in Massachusetts 19, 000; in Pennsylvania 27,000” (2008). Additionally, an Annual Survey of America’s Charter Schools 2010 notes that an average of 239 children is on a waiting list to enter each charter school in America, which is a 21% surge since last year (Center for Education Reform, 2010). These studies indicate the importance of school choice to parents and their desire to enroll their children in charter schools. Another example that shows parental demand for charter schools comes from The Evaluation of Charter School Impacts a study published in June 2009 by the United States Department of Education. The study showed parents of charter school students were more satisfied with their children’s academic achievement and social development compared to parents of students in traditional school setting.