New York City Public Schools Should Be Evaluated Based
on Diversity, Not Just Tests, Panel Says
In an effort to adopt a sweeping
measure to address entrenched segregation in education and create diversity
targets for all 1,800 schools, a high-level panel commissioned by Mayor Bill de
Blasio was formed. The panel plans to have the elementary and middle schools
reflect the racial makeup of their local school districts, and high schools to
look as much like their local borough as possible in terms of race, income, and
level of use/comprehension of English.
With the help of this panel,
Mayor de Blasio promises to reduce inequality in all aspects of life, schools
included. He expressed the fact that he is troubled by the racial makeup of the
city’s schools, but he hasn’t tackled the issue head on in his years in the
office. The proposal of this panel, which puts schools on the hook to match
district averages in race, class and student ability would be able to change
that.
As we all know, during the last
decade especially, what would constitute a school good or bad is the test scores
or other academic markers. This panel suggests different ways of rating a school,
along with the common academic measures. The panel’s goal is to shift the narrative
about how they measure a good quality school. The report they presented though does
not seem to provide a clear pathway to integration. More details and solutions
should be thought regarding the situation with the schools that do not meet
diversity targets and other current issues that they face.
“Our
schools are best when they reflect the diversity of our city,” the mayor said.
“This report marks crucial progress in turning that vision into reality.”
Among other points of the
proposal, I find important the part where the group that worked on the proposal
suggests the creation of the position of the chief integration officer as the
person who would be responsible for holding school diversity targets and would
oversee a broader integration effort.
It
is worth mentioning the fact that several local school districts have already
come up with their own integration plans, and a few high-profile re-zonings
have brought some integration to schools in diverse neighborhoods.
It is interesting how Mr. de Blasio has
consistently avoided using the word “segregation” to describe the situation of
the city’s schools, by using the word “diversification.”
From my
experience as a mother and as an educator, I see that there is not a child on
earth who “cannot and will not learn”. All children are born curious, and every
single child CAN learn. But our system has placed such inordinate strain on
much of the population that they aren’t able to thrive as humans are meant to,
with love, care, dignity and respect. Our day to day lives have moved so far
away from the “humane”. The children are our canaries. We need to listen to
them.
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