>>> THIS MORNING ON DEP IN-DEPTH
>>> THIS MORNING ON DEP IN-DEPTH WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO AN
WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO AN ALABAMA SCHOOL.
ALABAMA SCHOOL. >> THIS IS PART OF A NEW SERIES
>> THIS IS PART OF A NEW SERIES I’M WORKING ON TO GIVE YOU A
I’M WORKING ON TO GIVE YOU A CLOSER LEAK TO WHAT IS REALLY
CLOSER LEAK TO WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING IN CLASSROOMS ALL OVER
HAPPENING IN CLASSROOMS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THE COUNTRY. WE START IN RURAL ALABAMA WHERE
WE START IN RURAL ALABAMA WHERE IN 2018, SCHOOLS INCREDIBLY WERE
IN 2018, SCHOOLS INCREDIBLY WERE STILL NOT FULLY INTEGRATED AND
STILL NOT FULLY INTEGRATED AND NOW THAT IS CHANGING.
NOW THAT IS CHANGING. THIS MORNING WE TAKE YOU TO A
THIS MORNING WE TAKE YOU TO A NEW CHARTER SCHOOL HOPING TO
NEW CHARTER SCHOOL HOPING TO BRING THE KIDS TOGETHER AND MAKE
BRING THE KIDS TOGETHER AND MAKE A BIG CHANGE IN THEIR SMALL
A BIG CHANGE IN THEIR SMALL TOWN.
TOWN. AT FIRST GLANCE, THE LUNCHROOM
AT FIRST GLANCE, THE LUNCHROOM LOOKS PRETTY TYPICAL.
LOOKS PRETTY TYPICAL. KIDS GIGGLING, CHOMPING AWAY,
KIDS GIGGLING, CHOMPING AWAY, BUT THESE STUDENTS EATING SIDE
BUT THESE STUDENTS EATING SIDE BY SIDE REPRESENT A BIG CHANGE
BY SIDE REPRESENT A BIG CHANGE FOR LIVING SON, ALSTON ALABAMA.
FOR LIVING SON, ALSTON ALABAMA. >> WE DON’T REALLY SEE RACE
>> WE DON’T REALLY SEE RACE REALLY.
REALLY. >> YOU LOOK AROUND AND IT IS
>> YOU LOOK AROUND AND IT IS VERY DIVERSE.
VERY DIVERSE. >> Reporter: FOR DECADES SCHOOLS
>> Reporter: FOR DECADES SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTY HAVE BEEN
IN THIS COUNTY HAVE BEEN SYSTEMICALLY SEGREGATED.
SYSTEMICALLY SEGREGATED. >> BROWN V WORD OF EDUCATION WAS
>> BROWN V WORD OF EDUCATION WAS ALMOST 65 YEARS AGO.
ALMOST 65 YEARS AGO. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? >> OUR SCHOOLS DID INTEGRATE AT
>> OUR SCHOOLS DID INTEGRATE AT THAT TIME BUT PARENTS CONTINUED
THAT TIME BUT PARENTS CONTINUED TO MAKE CHOICES THAT THEY FELT
TO MAKE CHOICES THAT THEY FELT WAS BEST FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND
WAS BEST FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND THAT ENDED UP WITH A REECESSION
THAT ENDED UP WITH A REECESSION GRA GAGS.
GRA GAGS. >> Reporter: WHITE CHILDREN
>> Reporter: WHITE CHILDREN FILLING THE HALLS OF PRIVATE
FILLING THE HALLS OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS, WHILE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS, WHILE PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATED CHILDREN OF COLOR.
EDUCATED CHILDREN OF COLOR. BUT THE SCHOOLS HAVE NOT BEEN
BUT THE SCHOOLS HAVE NOT BEEN EQUAL.
EQUAL. ACCORDING TO THE ALABAMA STATE
ACCORDING TO THE ALABAMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, JUST
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, JUST UNDER 3% OF 8th GRADERS ENROLLED
UNDER 3% OF 8th GRADERS ENROLLED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE
IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE MET CAM PICK STANDARDS IN MATH
MET CAM PICK STANDARDS IN MATH FOR THE 2014/2015 SCHOOL YEAR.
FOR THE 2014/2015 SCHOOL YEAR. READING LESS THAN 17%.
READING LESS THAN 17%. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE HERE?
HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE HERE? >> 306.
>> 306. >> Reporter: J.J. WAS BORN AND
>> Reporter: J.J. WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE AND IS HEAD OF
RAISED HERE AND IS HEAD OF SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. >> DID SOMEONE JUST SAY ENOUGH
>> DID SOMEONE JUST SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?
IS ENOUGH? >> I THINK SO.
>> I THINK SO. I THINK THE COMMUNITY SAID
I THINK THE COMMUNITY SAID ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. >> Reporter: FUNDED BY FEDERAL
>> Reporter: FUNDED BY FEDERAL AND STATE MONEY, THE PROJECT
AND STATE MONEY, THE PROJECT BASED EDUCATION HERE IS FREE IF
BASED EDUCATION HERE IS FREE IF CHARGE TO ANY CHILD LIVING IN
CHARGE TO ANY CHILD LIVING IN ALABAMA.
ALABAMA. TELL ME WHAT SETS THIS SCHOOL
TELL ME WHAT SETS THIS SCHOOL APART.
APART. >> WE’RE DOING MORE LIKE
>> WE’RE DOING MORE LIKE HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND WE DON’T
HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND WE DON’T HAVE LIKE ANY BOOKS, WE LEARN IT
HAVE LIKE ANY BOOKS, WE LEARN IT ALL ON iPADS.
ALL ON iPADS. >> Reporter: SO EVERY SINGLE ONE
>> Reporter: SO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU HAS AN iPAD?
OF YOU HAS AN iPAD? TOLLIVER ALSO GREW UP IN THIS
TOLLIVER ALSO GREW UP IN THIS TOWN AND THE A MITTED SHE HAD
TOWN AND THE A MITTED SHE HAD NEVER INTERACTED WITH PEOPLE OF
NEVER INTERACTED WITH PEOPLE OF ANOTHER RACE.
ANOTHER RACE. >> I WAS SCARED TO BE AROUND
>> I WAS SCARED TO BE AROUND WHITE PEOPLE BECAUSE EVERYONE
WHITE PEOPLE BECAUSE EVERYONE PUT THEM ON A HIGH PEDESTAL THAN
PUT THEM ON A HIGH PEDESTAL THAN THEY DID US.
THEY DID US. I WANTED TO BE A PART OF THIS
I WANTED TO BE A PART OF THIS SCHOOL BECAUSE WHY QUANTSWANT TH
SCHOOL BECAUSE WHY QUANTSWANT TH GROW UP LIKE I DID.
GROW UP LIKE I DID. >> Reporter: KYLE AND MARY GRACE
>> Reporter: KYLE AND MARY GRACE SAY WHILE THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN
SAY WHILE THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DIVIDED, BE SENDING THEIR SON
DIVIDED, BE SENDING THEIR SON AND DAUGHTER TO THE SCHOOL WAS
AND DAUGHTER TO THE SCHOOL WAS THE RIGHT CHASE FOR THEM.TGHT CH
THE RIGHT CHASE FOR THEM.TGHT CH >> TELL ME WHAT IT FEELS LIKE
>> TELL ME WHAT IT FEELS LIKE WHERE YOU’RE WITH OTHER PARENTS
WHERE YOU’RE WITH OTHER PARENTS WHO SAY YOU KNOW WHAT, IT IS
WHO SAY YOU KNOW WHAT, IT IS TIME FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
TIME FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT. >> I’M SO PROUD OF IT.
>> I’M SO PROUD OF IT. >> THE COUNTY HAS A HISTORY AND
>> THE COUNTY HAS A HISTORY AND IT IS WHAT IT IS.
IT IS WHAT IT IS. BUT WE JUST WANT BETTER.
BUT WE JUST WANT BETTER. AND THAT IS WHAT MY KIDS ARE
AND THAT IS WHAT MY KIDS ARE GETTING.
GETTING. >> Reporter: TELL ME WHAT YOUR
>> Reporter: TELL ME WHAT YOUR GOAL IS FOR THIS SCHOOL.
GOAL IS FOR THIS SCHOOL. >> I HOPE THAT WHAT WE’RE DOING
>> I HOPE THAT WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE BLEEDS OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF
HERE BLEEDS OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THESE SCHOOLS.
THESE SCHOOLS. SMALL RURAL TOWNS I FEEL LIKE
SMALL RURAL TOWNS I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES GET PUSHED UNDER THE
SOMETIMES GET PUSHED UNDER THE RUG AND BIG THINGS CAN HAPPEN IN
RUG AND BIG THINGS CAN HAPPEN IN LITTLE PLACES.
LITTLE PLACES. >> I SAID THIS YESTERDAY, I’M
>> I SAID THIS YESTERDAY, I’M FOREVER CHANGED AFTER DOING THIS
FOREVER CHANGED AFTER DOING THIS STORY.
STORY. I LISTENED SO MUCH, I TALKED TO
I LISTENED SO MUCH, I TALKED TO SO MANY PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND
SO MANY PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, A LOT OF THEM I
ADMINISTRATORS, A LOT OF THEM I COULDN’T USE FOR THE SAKE OF
COULDN’T USE FOR THE SAKE OF TIME.
TIME. BUT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
BUT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOMETIMES IN SMALL TOWNS IT
SOMETIMES IN SMALL TOWNS IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET CHANGE
TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET CHANGE AND PEOPLE ARE RESISTANT TO
AND PEOPLE ARE RESISTANT TO CHANGE.
CHANGE. PARENTS SAY SOME PEOPLE DON’T
PARENTS SAY SOME PEOPLE DON’T LIKE CHARTER SCHOOLS, YOU CAN
LIKE CHARTER SCHOOLS, YOU CAN GET IN TO THAT DEBATE, BUT YOU
GET IN TO THAT DEBATE, BUT YOU HAVE TO START ARE SOMEWHERE AND
HAVE TO START ARE SOMEWHERE AND THEY REALLY WANT THE BEST FOR
THEY REALLY WANT THE BEST FOR THEIR KIDS.
THEIR KIDS. >> AND IS THIS GOING TO SHRED
>> AND IS THIS GOING TO SHRED NOW?
NOW? SPREAD NOW?
SPREAD NOW? >> THAT IS THE HOPE.
>> THAT IS THE HOPE. AND WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT
AND WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE KIDS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THE KIDS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. >> AND I LOVE THAT THEY ARE FROM
