School segregation, while no longer legally mandated, remains a pervasive issue, as highlighted by Leslie Hinkson (2015), who attributes it largely to socioeconomic and housing policies. These factors create racially and economically homogeneous communities, further deepening disparities between schools in wealthier, predominantly white areas and those in minority neighborhoods. Thompson Dorsey (2013) similarly underscores the rollback of federal desegregation policies in the 1990s, leading to “re-segregation,” especially in the South. This rollback has allowed schools to become racially divided once again, with minority students often attending underfunded schools that lack resources critical to student success, such as advanced coursework and experienced teachers. Addressing these systemic issues requires bold legislative action to ensure all students have equal educational opportunities, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status.
References
Hinkson, L. (2015). Why racial segregation still matters [TEDx Talk]. TEDx. https://www.ted.com/tedx
Thompson Dorsey, D. N. (2013). Segregation 2.0: The new generation of school segregation in the 21st century. Education and Urban Society, 45(5), 533-547.
Reading
Dhingra, N. (2019). Student free speech and schools as public spaces. Educational Theory, 69(6), 657–673.
Lupu, I.C., & Davis, E., & Davis, E. (2019). Religion in the public schools. Retrieved from
https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/03/religion-in-the-public-schools-2019-update/
Relevant Supreme Court Cases:
Bethel v. Fraser, 478 U.S. 675 (1986). Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/478/675 .
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988). Retrieved from http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scriipts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=484&invol=260.
Morse v. Frederick, 551 U.S. 393 (2007). Retrieved from http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scriipts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=06-278.
Tinker v. Des Moines School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969). Retrieved from
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/393/503
Optional Reading
Helpful Web Sites for Legal Research
Findlaw (Search tool for state and federal cases and laws)
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/school_law/ (School law blog, primarily PK-12)