The N.C. legislature has authorized a study committee on school diversity, charged with figuring out whether the racial, ethnic and/or socioeconomic composition of schools makes a difference in achievement, parent involvement and discipline. It'll be made up of five state senators, five representatives and five members of the public appointed by the governor, charged with reporting to the General Assembly in 2011.
My counterpart at the Raleigh News & Observer, T. Keung Hui, says Sen. Charlie Dannelly, D-Mecklenburg, is the senate sponsor. Hui will be filing a story on the study commission soon.
Diversity is a hot-button topic in the state's two largest districts. The Wake school board recently voted to dismantle a student assignment plan that balanced school poverty levels. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is reviewing its student assignment plan, and diversity is one of the issues sparking the most debate.
To read the authorizing legislation, go to this link and skip to page 17, about halfway down the page.
Monday, July 12, 2010
State to study school diversity
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7 comments:
About time to answer the age old question why people of certain skin colors, culture, sexual preference or other differences perform differently and how mixing them can help or hurt the objective of educating ALL students, not just the poor performers.
It is pretty sad they would waste people's time and money to do this. I can show you studies that show both sides of the equation. Actually, there is more data (real data if you include other states' efforts) to support nothing you do with diversity makes any difference. Where it has made a difference with a handful of these students is in the area of career oriented magnet programs in high schools. Nonetheless, I see there is also a study about raising the dropout age to 17 or 18.
I am not sure how this committee expects to conduct this study. I am sure though if they choose to have some public hearings/meetings, things will could very contentinous.
I find this pretty scary. Exactly what will they do with their findings--draft legislation regulating school assignment? Who on the panel will be qualified to make judgments about the research they examine? How many lawmakers are experts on education issues? Has the outcome of this panel's research already been predetermined? (The governor has thrown her support to those fighting Wake's change of assignment.)
I hope the Observer will run a prominent story on this, so that the public can see what's going on.
Finally, we are using data and research to determine whether diversity adds any value to student achievement. Also, it is quite sad that even after using busing all these years in Charlotte, when you look at the voluntary choices students make in their interactions, for example in the school cafeterias, that students select to separate by race. Certainly, our strategy of strategically busing students is not realizing the goals we had hoped.
I can save them all a lot of time and trouble.
The "diversity" that maters is the diverse methods and consistency of discipline.
Set guidelines and boundries and insist that they are followed. There are many parts of what the school system and Dr. Ruby Payne call the "hidden curriculum". So when you live in a commuity no matter what your demographic, there are certain expectations you should follow for that community or situation.
Your home rule smay be diferent than school or work rules, but you as a parent should uphold those rules and insist that your children do the same.
Another waste of time and money...no surprise as to who the bill sponsor is!!
Too sad that this will become a political, emotional, civil rights debate versus fact. Additionally CMS minorities have been scoring better than Wake County minorities but do not let that confuse the debate.
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