https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/10/23/forced-busing-didnt-fail-desegregation-is-the-best-way-to-improve-our-schools/?utm_term=.23babff09f7e
This article, which was written by George Theoharis, states the overall impact that busing had on test scores and the widening gap in test scores since the end of forced busing. By using facts in this article, George is able to show that his position on this subject is true. Even though we may not see this widening gap in Burlingame, "U.S. schools have become more segregated since 1990, and students in major metropolitan areas have been most severely divided by race and income, according to the University of California at Los Angeles’s Civil Rights Project." This shows that in times where many of us from the Peninsula believe that the segregation and education difference between schools is close to non-existent, it is actually something that still widely affects the lives of so many students who are trying to learn, mainly those in the Northeast. The times of desegregation of schools in the 70s and 80s actually saw steady gains of school integration and also the significant improvement in educational equity. However, "since 1988, when education policy shifted away from desegregation efforts, the reading test score gap has grown — to 26 points in 2012 — with segregated schooling increasing in every region of the country." George Theoharis believes that the integration of schools was the best way to help those students who do not have the best educational opportunities to learn and receive the best education available. We can’t continue to ignore the growing hold segregation has on our schools
Would the integration of schools help bring equality or Would it cause more separation through boycotts and riots?
Is the author correct in his statement that "Forced busing didn't fail"? Why or why not?
What has changed, since the 1970s and 1980s, that may prove a different outcome in the integration of schools today in cities that are widely separated by race and social class?
I think forced integration through busing would be more successful today than when it was first implemented because, while we still have a long way to go, I think our society has grown since the 1970’s. This isn't to say that there wouldn’t be angry and protesting, however I do think that it would be less than almost 40 years ago. However, while forced busing could be more successful today, I highly doubt that President-elect Trump would ever allow -- let alone advocate for -- greater integration in schools. And, while our society has become more progressive in the past 3 decades, there would definitely still be push back against forced integration. Even in states like California and cities like Burlingame, which are very progressive, people would, unfortunately, be quite angry if they were forced to integrate. However, in the end, I think it would be much better for the country, and our future if forced busing was reimplemented (but hopefully under a different name, because it’s hard to get people to support something with ‘forced’ in the title).
ReplyDeleteI agree with Megan that integration through busing would be definitely more effective than the 60s and 70s during the Civil Rights movement. From the video we've watched in the class, the forced integration through busing in Chicago didn't turn out as well as hoped, many parents were infuriated that black students were going to white schools. I think today, progress definitely has been made, states like California and other liberal states, you don't see much segregation. However, with the said, I think some degree of segregation still exist out there.
DeleteIntegration of schools would definitely help toward reaching equality. In the Missouri podcast I previously listened to, the main speaker's primary argument was that everyone thrives when integration in the education system is in place. While the African American girl was placed in a predominantly white school she began to thrive. Although the parents were openly skeptical about it, there were no riots and everything worked out in the end. I firmly believe that integration will benefit everyone and get us one step closer to equality.
ReplyDeleteThere are also political advantages to programs that lift up economically disadvantaged students of all races—low-income black and Latino students, but also working-class white students, whose families often feel left out of race-specific remedies to educational inequality. Socioeconomic-integration plans are the types of programs that could align the interests of working-class whites and blacks as they fight for the opportunity to attend good, middle-class schools.
ReplyDeleteAlthough forced integration would help help equality, I am personally against it because I would not want to have to get on a bus each morning to go to school. As someone who lives a block from school, walking to school is a great opportunity and something I cherish. I think most Americans would oppose busing today because they want their children to be able to go to school in their local community and not have to be in another part of the region.
ReplyDeleteI believe that through integration in schools society would benefit as a whole. Although many Americans oppose bussing, segregation has prevented African Americans from equal treatment guaranteed by their civil rights. Education can help empower African Americans and help them escape many of the struggles that they currently have to face.
ReplyDeleteIntegration of schools would likely cause both equality in certain situations, and tension in others. The idea of integration has many positive outcomes, however change in general, especially when dealing with children, can be a very dangerous and political topic. I believe that it would be beneficial if successful, however the likelihood of it backfiring is too high to comfortably commit to such a decision.
ReplyDeleteI think that if we tried to integrate schools as a means of achieving racial equality it would be much more successful than in the 1970s and 1980s. Racism, while still an issue, is much less prevalent than it was thirty or forty years ago. Seeing as we have elected and re-elected an African American president, I feel that integrating schools would not be a tall order, especially if the purpose of making academics equal was clearly outlined.
ReplyDeleteIn today's society, people are more inclined to speak their minds and share their opinions, so if integration via busing were to occur today, I believe there would be boycotts and riots against the busing, but their would also be an outpouring of support for the busing. When busing first began in the 1970s, African Americans were afraid to show their support and counter the white people's anger, but now that it is likely that more white people support busing, it will be more successful. I believe the author is correct that "busing didn't fail," because it gained exposure for the integration policy.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Our society has become a lot more progressive, and even if there were protests against integration, there would be an equal or greater amount of opposition to these opinions.
DeleteI believe integration of schools can only help students and would be well perceived by most of the country. However areas in the south could potentially riot as they are very conservative areas. Forced busing didn't fail as it proved that students, no matter their race, can thrive in better schools and deserve equal education. Today schools are so packed and always increasing in student size, it may be hard to find room for under privileged students at more higher end schools that are more populated.
ReplyDeleteIs the author correct in his statement that "Forced busing didn't fail"? Why or why not? I believe that he is correct in that forced busing worked. I think that the main idea of the forced busing was to cause tension and riots, because they needed to show how people responded to being forced into lower tier schools, and realize the oppression firsthand. I think that it was smart to only to it temporarily, however, because long term it would quickly lose support.
ReplyDeleteConsidering where we are terms of racism, I don't think forcing integration would backlash the way it did in the 70s and 80s. I think people need a reality check if they still have a problem with integration. Forced busing is beneficial, more people just need to see that.
ReplyDeleteI think integration would help bring equality, but the integration must be done slowly and not all at once. If it is forced and done all at once, then there will be boycotts and chaos in communities, like the busing in Boston. The integration can help students who want to be educated get a good education when they get to go to a school with better teachings.
ReplyDeleteBusing has been proven to work in the past. even though many white students to protest and oppose it the system has been proven to work. The author was correct in saying that busing worked, the gap between test scores and GPA closed significantly, and has only widened since busing stopped. While busing may be met with opposition, it is most definitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteIntegration of schools can only help decrease the current education gap. I think boycotts and riots are less likely now than they were in the 1970s but even if they do occur forced integration will still have a positive effect on education for minorities and poor students. This is because desegregation was shown to have a positive effect in the 70s and 80s in spite of riots and boycotts, meaning desegregation would still work today even if boycotts were to occur.
ReplyDeleteI think that if integration of schools worked in the past, it would work today as well. I agree that there will definitely be protests from those that don't believe there should be integration, but the country has grown since the 70s regarding racism that integration will be more accepted now than before
ReplyDeleteWould the integration of schools help bring equality or Would it cause more separation through boycotts and riots?
ReplyDeleteI believe that the integration of schools would help bring equality in modern times. The United States has become a much more tolerant and accepting place of all races than it was in the 60s and 70s. If busing and integration were to happen today, there would be people who disagree with it, but it's very unlikely there would be riots. Racism today is still prevalent, but on a significantly smaller scale than it was back in the Civil Rights era. There is less hatred today, and more people willing to stand up against racism, which makes the possibility of riots very small. Integration would for the most part be accepted, or just not thought of as an issue.
Would the integration of schools help bring equality or Would it cause more separation through boycotts and riots?
ReplyDeleteThe integration of schools would help bring equality in modern times instead of bringing separation through boycotts and riots as over time, students would learn to live with each other and mark a start of a change that would encourage students to come together and promote equality while fighting racism