>> Sreenivasan: THE LANDMARK
1954 SUPREME COURT DECISION
BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION
DECLARED SCHOOL-BASED RACIAL
SEGREGATION TO BE
UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
IT WAS INTENDED TO DESEGREGATE
SCHOOLS-- BUT THAT ISN'T EXACTLY
WHAT HAPPENED, AT LEAST IN NEW
YORK STATE.
RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT NEW
YORK CITY HAS SOME OF AMERICA'S
MOST SEGREGATED SCHOOLS.
IN THE FIRST OF A TWO-PART
REPORT EXAMINING SCHOOL
DIVERSITY AND EQUITY IN NEW YORK
CITY, I MET WITH A GROUP OF
STUDENTS PROTESTING SEGREGATION,
AND VISITED A DISTRICT IN
BROOKLYN WITH A PLAN TO INCREASE
DIVERSITY.
THIS IS PART OF OUR ONGOING
SERIES, "CHASING THE DREAM:
POVERTY AND OPPORTUNITY IN
AMERICA."
>> WE ARE IntegrateNYC!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Sreenivasan: ON THE 65th
ANNIVERSARY OF BROWN V. BOARD OF
EDUCATION LAST MONTH, STUDENTS
FROM ACROSS NEW YORK CITY
GATHERED IN TIMES SQUARE.
THEY HANDED OUT NEWSPAPERS
DECLARING "RETIRE SEGREGATION"
AND CALLED FOR THE CITY'S PUBLIC
SCHOOLS TO BE INTEGRATED.
>> IT'S BEEN 65 YEARS SINCE
SEGREGATION IN SCHOOLS ON THE
BASIS OF RACE WAS RULED
UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
>> Sreenivasan: A U.C.L.A. STUDY
OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUND IN 2014,
AND AGAIN THIS YEAR, THAT NEW
YORK REMAINS THE MOST SEGREGATED
STATE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN
STUDENTS, WITH 65% OF THEM IN
INTENSELY SEGREGATED SCHOOLS.
THE STUDY FOUND IT WAS THE
SECOND MOST SEGREGATED STATE FOR
LATINO STUDENTS.
WE SAT DOWN WITH THREE NEW YORK
CITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS--
MEMBERS OF THE GROUP
IntegrateNYC-- WHO HAVE BEEN
MEETING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT
LEADERSHIP, URGING THEM TO
IMPLEMENT WHAT THEY CALL A "REAL
INTEGRATION" PLAN FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION OF STUDENTS.
>> LOOKING AT HOW THE CITY IS
SEGREGATED, WE'VE NOTICED THAT
THERE ARE FIVE MAIN WAYS THAT
THE SEGREGATION HAPPENS.
>> Sreenivasan: THE STUDENTS'
PLAN ADDRESSES WHAT THEY CALL
THE FIVE R's.
>> THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS, THE
RESOURCES THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED,
THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE SCHOOLS
AND THE CURRICULUM.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES
AND TEACHER REPRESENTATION.
>> THE MISSION IS TO HAVE REAL
INTEGRATION IN SCHOOLS.
MORE RESOURCES FOR EVERYBODY.
>> Sreenivasan: HOW DO YOU GET
THERE?
>> BY GETTING MORE YOUNG PEOPLE
INTO THE MOVEMENT BECAUSE
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE
AFFECTED BY THE SYSTEM, AND
TELLING STUDENTS THAT DON'T FEEL
LIKE LEADERS THAT THEY ARE
LEADERS AND THEY CAN MAKE CHANGE
IN THEIR OWN SCHOOLS.
>> Sreenivasan: WHAT DOES AN
INTEGRATED SCHOOL LOOK LIKE TO
YOU?
>> AN INTEGRATED SCHOOL WOULD
REFLECT THAT OUTWARDS COMMUNITY.
IF THERE'S A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE
OF WHITE STUDENTS, BLACK, ASIAN,
LATIN, X, THE SCHOOL SHOULD BE
ABLE TO REFLECT THAT.
THERE'S STUDENTS WHO, LIKE,
MAYBE THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE ISN'T
ENGLISH.
RIGHT, STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE LEARNERS, STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES.
THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS THAT
STUDENTS EXPERIENCE LIFE AND ALL
OF THOSE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES
PUT TOGETHER IN A SCHOOL
COMMUNITY ARE WHAT MAKE IT SO
DIFFERENT AND SPECIAL AND HELP
THE STUDENTS LEARN FROM NOT ONLY
THE CONTENT THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT
BUT EACH OTHER.
>> Sreenivasan: NEW YORK CITY
HAS MORE THAN 400 HIGH SCHOOLS.
WHEN EIGHTH GRADERS APPLY, THEY
RANK THEIR TOP 12 CHOICES.
BUT MANY SCHOOLS HAVE SO-CALLED"
SCREENS," SUCH AS TESTS,
ATTENDANCE OR G.P.A.
REQUIREMENTS.
>> YOU'RE A 12-YEAR-OLD.
AND YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE OUT OF A
HUGE BOOK AND SOME OF THE
SCHOOLS THAT YOU HAVE TO APPLY
FOR, YOU HAVE TO TAKE A TEST OR
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PORTFOLIO FOR
IT.
BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS
THAT IF I GO TO A SCHOOL IN THE
BRONX, THERE'S NOT-- THERE'S NOT
THAT MANY RESOURCES AS SOME
SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HIGHER PAY OR
HIGHER RESOURCES THAN IN
MANHATTAN OR IN BROOKLYN.
LIKE, THERE'S DIFFERENT SCHOOLS
WITH DIFFERENT RESOURCES.
>> Sreenivasan: SO NOT ALL NEW
YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE
CREATED EQUAL.
>> NO.
>> NO, THEY'RE NOT.
>> THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ANY
SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT IS STILL
SEGREGATED IS REALLY AN
INDICTMENT ON ALL OF US.
SO WE WANT OUR SCHOOLS TO
REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR
CITY.
>> Sreenivasan: NEW YORK CITY
SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR RICHARD
CARRANZA HAS LED SOME OF THE
COUNTRY'S BIGGEST SCHOOL
DISTRICTS.
HE SAYS BIG CHANGES TO THE
ADMISSIONS PROCESS HAVE BEGUN,
NOT FOR HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT FOR
SOME MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
HE POINTS TO PROGRESS FOR THE
ADMISSIONS PROCESS AT MIDDLE
SCHOOLS IN TWO COMMUNITY
EDUCATION DISTRICTS.
THERE ARE 32 OF THESE DISTRICTS
IN THE CITY.
BROOKLYN'S DISTRICT 15 IS A
RACIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY
DIVERSE DISTRICT.
IT SERVES 6,000 STUDENTS ACROSS
11 MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
A "WORKING GROUP" OF COMMUNITY
LEADERS, PARENTS AND EDUCATORS
LOOKED AT THE DISTRICT'S DATA
AND FOUND THAT THE MIDDLE
SCHOOLS' USE OF SCREENS, SUCH AS
TEST SCORES, TARDIES AND
ABSENCES, DISPROPORTIONATELY
"REMOVE" BLACK AND LATINO
STUDENTS FROM THE APPLICANT
POOL.
THE GROUP DEVELOPED A DIVERSITY
PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT OVER THREE
PUBLIC WORKSHOPS, AND PROPOSED A
PLAN, WHICH THE CHANCELLOR
APPROVED.
>> DISTRICT 15 REMOVED ALL THE
SCREENS OF THEIR MIDDLE SCHOOLS
THIS YEAR SO STUDENTS THIS YEAR
GOT TO GO TO-- AND CHOOSE TO GO
TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS THAT IN THE
PAST WHERE THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN
SCREENED OUT.
>> Sreenivasan: IN BROOKLYN, THE
DISTRICT 15 DIVERSITY PLAN MEANS
THAT WHILE FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS
STILL RANK THEIR MIDDLE SCHOOL
CHOICES, PREVIOUS "SCREENS" SUCH
AS TEST SCORES, G.P.A., AND
ATTENDANCE ARE NO LONGER USED.
NOW, SEATS ARE ASSIGNED BASED ON
A LOTTERY.
TO REFLECT THE DISTRICT
POPULATION, HALF OF THE SEATS AT
A SCHOOL ARE PRIORITIZED FOR
STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR FREE AND
REDUCED LUNCH, ENGLISH-LANGUAGE
LEARNERS AND THOSE LIVING IN
TEMPORARY HOUSING.
>> WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF
COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ENGAGING
WITH FAMILIES THAT REALLY WE
OUGHT TO JUST CREATE A SCHOOL
THAT SERVES STUDENTS.
ANY STUDENT WHO WANTS TO ATTEND.
>> Sreenivasan: PRINCIPAL
MICHAEL PERLBERG AT M.S. 839
SAYS THAT THE DISTRICT PLAN
ALLOWS ALL STUDENTS "EQUAL
ACCESS" TO THE SCHOOLS.
M.S. 839 WAS FOUNDED FOUR YEARS
AGO.
IT WAS THE ONLY MIDDLE SCHOOL IN
THE DISTRICT THAT USED A LOTTERY
TO ADMIT STUDENTS.
AND AS PART OF A DIVERSITY PILOT
PROGRAM, IT BEGAN TO SET ASIDE
40% OF SEATS FOR LOW-INCOME
STUDENTS.
>> IT'S A RANDOM LOTTERY FOR
EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL.
SO THERE AREN'T ANY HOOPS FOR
PARENTS TO JUMP THROUGH OR
AUDITIONS TO MAKE.
>> Sreenivasan: WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE CHALLENGES OF ROLLING OUT A
PLAN LIKE THIS ACROSS AN ENTIRE
DISTRICT?
>> I THINK BUY-IN.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF FAMILIES
DON'T WANT THEIR KID TO BE THE
FIRST ONE FOR SOMETHING TO BE
TRIED OUT ON.
>> Sreenivasan: DO YOU THINK
THAT IT WILL SCALE?
>> WE'VE HAD A REALLY POSITIVE
EXPERIENCE WITH IT.
WE'VE HAD TO BE REALLY PROACTIVE
AND DO A LOT OF WORK WITH
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND
FAMILIES AROUND WHAT DOES IT
MEAN TO WORK IN AN INTEGRATED
SCHOOL?
SO FROM LOOKING AT OUR
CURRICULUM AND MAKING SURE IT'S
NOT JUST A EUROCENTRIC
CURRICULUM BUT THAT WE ARE
ADDRESSING THE RICH HISTORIES OF
ALL OF OUR FAMILIES, FROM
WORKING WITH TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS ABOUT TALKING ABOUT
RACE AND HAVING DIFFICULT
CONVERSATIONS, SO I KNOW THAT
SCHOOL LEADERS ACROSS THE
DISTRICT HAVE ALREADY BEEN
HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
HOW TO-- HOW TO SUPPORT THEIR
STAFF.
>> Sreenivasan: AT M.S. 839,
STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT USING A SO-
CALLED "EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING"
MODEL.
THAT MEANS THEY HAVE MANY
OUTDOOR AND HANDS-ON PROJECTS,
BUT ALSO HAVE ELECTIVES IN THE
ARTS AND MUSIC.
IN APRIL, OFFERS WERE SENT OUT
FOR NEXT YEAR'S SIXTH GRADERS IN
DISTRICT 15.
WHEN WILL YOU KNOW THAT WHAT
YOU'RE TRYING IS WORKING AND
THAT YOU CAN INSTITUTE IT
EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THIS CITY?
>> WE'RE MONITORING VERY CLOSELY
TO MAKE SURE WHAT ARE THE
CONSEQUENCES WHAT ARE THE
INTENDED AND UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCES?
AND BEING NIMBLE TO BE ABLE TO
ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AS WELL.
>> Sreenivasan: GIVEN THAT
YOU'VE WORKED IN ALL THESE BIG
SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND THE
COUNTRY, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED
ABOUT INTEGRATION, EQUITY, THESE
KIND OF BIG IDEAS AND HOW THEY
TRANSLATE DOWN AND HOW CAN HOW
THEY CAN WORK IN NEW YORK?
>> IT'S NEVER AN EASY
CONVERSATION.
IT ALWAYS MEANS LOOKING IN THE
MIRROR.
AND IN THE MIRROR I SAY "IS
WHAT'S REFLECTED BACK TRULY WHAT
WE BELIEVE IN?"
AND IF THERE'S NOT AN ALIGNMENT
WITH WHAT WE SAY WE BELIEVE IN
AND WHAT THE DATA IS TELLING US
THE ACTUAL OUTCOMES ARE, THEN
WHY IS THAT?
SO YOU HAVE TO WORK ON SYSTEMS
AND STRUCTURES.
I'VE LEARNED THAT IN EVERY
COMMUNITY I'VE LIVED IN.
AND I'VE LIVED ON THE WEST
COAST, NOW IN THE EAST COAST,
AND IN BETWEEN.
AND EVERY COMMUNITY THIS ISSUE
HAS BEEN AN ISSUE.
I THINK THE DIFFERENCE RIGHT NOW
IN NEW YORK CITY IS THAT WE ARE
TAKING IT ON.
PLEASE WELCOME MATTHEW ALEXANDER
DIAZ TO THE MIC.
>> Sreenivasan: THIS MONTH
CHANCELLOR CARRANZA, ALONGSIDE
MATTHEW DIAZ FROM IntegrateNYC,
ANNOUNCED THAT FIVE ADDITIONAL
DISTRICTS WOULD RECEIVE $200,000
EACH TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN
DIVERSITY PLANS.
>> WHY NOT MAKE A PLAN FOR THE
YOUTH, WITH THE YOUTH?
>> Sreenivasan: THEY INCLUDE TWO
MORE DISTRICTS IN BROOKLYN, AND
A DISTRICT EACH IN THE BRONX,
QUEENS AND STATEN ISLAND.
BUT THE CHANCELLOR'S MOST
CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSAL IS TO
ELIMINATE THE ADMISSION TEST FOR
THE CITY'S ELITE "SPECIALIZED
HIGH SCHOOLS."
THAT STORY WILL AIR ON TUESDAY
IN PART TWO OF THIS SERIES.
