How many times can we look at the same data and draw unhelpful conclusions. Apparently forever. https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-america-divided/education/
Evanston Illinois, the home of Northwestern University, is by any measure a community of above average affluence; yet, as pretty much everywhere else, Evanston has its socioeconomic pecking order. Evanston has what many would consider a progressive, and expensive , public school system. In 1985 it adopted an official policy 'that no single racial group shall comprise more than 60 percent of a school’s population.' This resulted in truly integrated schools, and although that specific policy is no longer in effect, the schools remain well integrated. The mix at the one high school is 43% white, 30% black, 18% Hispanic.
The only high school is located in a section of town that is majority black and Hispanic, so white kids have to travel to get to high school. There is no other school other than the high school in this part of town, consequently younger students living in the majority black and Hispanic section of town are bused to integrated schools in the town's other school district. This has created an inequality, but not an educational one. Young black children are bused for nine years while at least some of their white classmates can walk or bike to school. Then in the three high school years, the black kids can walk or bike to school, while their classmates from across town may arrive in BMWs.
Other than this transportation inequity, however, it is hard to imagine a more equitable, public-education opportunity in a town with a significant minority population. Evanston seems to have done everything within reason, and gone beyond that, to assure equal opportunity regardless of circumstances. And yet on standardized exams, there is a clear correlation between educational achievement and race. Evanston has not been able to erase the correlation despite full integration, marvelously funded schools (>22K$/student-year, nearly double the Illinois average) a magnificent, 63 acre high school campus, with amenities that could make country clubs envious, and a fully integrated, public-school faculty.
In Evanston the kindergarten, elementary and middle schools that feed the High School are in district 65, and the High School is in its own district. According to the Bloomberg story referenced above:
Now anyone from another planet looking at the situation in Evanston, and with no other information other than the educational achievement report, might conclude the same thing. But anyone familiar with the Evanston public schools, schools that had done everything conceivable to offer the same educational opportunity, and an outstanding one at that, to all students regardless of race, would have a hard time concluding what was concluded from this report.
The Evanston schools went out of their way to provide, and actually did provide, the same educational opportunities to both black and white students. So, if by doing that, they 'provided a much better education to white students than black students,' than either black students need to be taught differently than white students to achieve at the same level, or there are factors entirely apart from educational opportunity and teaching methods in the primary and secondary schools that are responsible for the achievement gap!
Apparently those well meaning people of Evanston, and the author of the Bloomberg story as well, managed to escape recognition of the obvious. How much longer can this insanity continue?
Evanston Illinois, the home of Northwestern University, is by any measure a community of above average affluence; yet, as pretty much everywhere else, Evanston has its socioeconomic pecking order. Evanston has what many would consider a progressive, and expensive , public school system. In 1985 it adopted an official policy 'that no single racial group shall comprise more than 60 percent of a school’s population.' This resulted in truly integrated schools, and although that specific policy is no longer in effect, the schools remain well integrated. The mix at the one high school is 43% white, 30% black, 18% Hispanic.
The only high school is located in a section of town that is majority black and Hispanic, so white kids have to travel to get to high school. There is no other school other than the high school in this part of town, consequently younger students living in the majority black and Hispanic section of town are bused to integrated schools in the town's other school district. This has created an inequality, but not an educational one. Young black children are bused for nine years while at least some of their white classmates can walk or bike to school. Then in the three high school years, the black kids can walk or bike to school, while their classmates from across town may arrive in BMWs.
Other than this transportation inequity, however, it is hard to imagine a more equitable, public-education opportunity in a town with a significant minority population. Evanston seems to have done everything within reason, and gone beyond that, to assure equal opportunity regardless of circumstances. And yet on standardized exams, there is a clear correlation between educational achievement and race. Evanston has not been able to erase the correlation despite full integration, marvelously funded schools (>22K$/student-year, nearly double the Illinois average) a magnificent, 63 acre high school campus, with amenities that could make country clubs envious, and a fully integrated, public-school faculty.
In Evanston the kindergarten, elementary and middle schools that feed the High School are in district 65, and the High School is in its own district. According to the Bloomberg story referenced above:
In December 2015, Fleming [Cecily, racial equality advocate], Burns [Martha, parent activist], and a representative from the NAACP asked the District 65 school board to review black student achievement in more detail than usual. The board agreed, and the data crunchers refined how they measure academic performance. The result was an even larger gap between black and white students than previously reported. One parent said the only part of the 43-page report she was glad to see was the end. The analysis showed that District 65 provided a much better education to white students than black students, no matter their income. (underlining is mine.)
Now anyone from another planet looking at the situation in Evanston, and with no other information other than the educational achievement report, might conclude the same thing. But anyone familiar with the Evanston public schools, schools that had done everything conceivable to offer the same educational opportunity, and an outstanding one at that, to all students regardless of race, would have a hard time concluding what was concluded from this report.
The Evanston schools went out of their way to provide, and actually did provide, the same educational opportunities to both black and white students. So, if by doing that, they 'provided a much better education to white students than black students,' than either black students need to be taught differently than white students to achieve at the same level, or there are factors entirely apart from educational opportunity and teaching methods in the primary and secondary schools that are responsible for the achievement gap!
Apparently those well meaning people of Evanston, and the author of the Bloomberg story as well, managed to escape recognition of the obvious. How much longer can this insanity continue?
Last edited:
