The Importance Of Segregation In The Brown Vs. Board Of Education

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“Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local government” (Supreme Court, 1954, p. 3). This idea addressed in the Brown vs. Board of Education Transcript validates the reason for eliminating segregation. Segregation has roots all the way back to the discovery of the New World. Groups of people have been placed into boxes defining them and limiting their outcomes to prevent achievement. But in recent years, actions have been made to make the country more inclusive on minority races and their educational experience. This essay will discuss ways of desegregation, the challenges faced, and problems with racially imbalanced schools and the achievement gap by examining works by Brown v. BOE, Landson-Billing, Ira Glass …show more content…

The communities were causing uproars and chaos throughout the nation. In the Brown vs. Board of Education Transcript (1954), the statement was made that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” (P.3). This statement has been made true in dozens of circumstances throughout the country. For example, Nikole Hannah an investigative reporter for the New York Times was investigating the failing school system located in Normandy, Missouri. “Normandy [school system] is the worst district in the state of Missouri” Hannah (2015) reported. Having this failing school system was a serious problem for a family who had a child smarter than the school system could provide. This bright student was facing a system that doomed her to fail from the start. The school was less than average and was not able to accommodate the needs of high achieving students. This young girl was given one chance to switch to a school where the community consisted of all White families. The community wasn 't very keen on having African American students transfer, but the facilities were “inherently unequal” ( Supreme Court, 1954, p. …show more content…

Tracking in school allows for students below the line of average to be pushed from one grade to the next without meeting the standards. This has been happening in school all over the nation since integration has begun. Oakes wrote her article for the reader to understand the background of tracking but as well to understand the harm it can do for the student. The student, in the end, is getting an inadequate education because they are never challenged. The schools know that “ability differences among students were a legitimate basis for educational and social sorting” (Oakes, 2009, p. 5). These schools are the ones that are less likely to support Detracking because tracking allows for their system to operate.With the system the school has put into place minority students have learned that need to “act white” (Oakes, 2009, p. 6) in order to be perceived as intelligent otherwise they are written off. These minority students have to fit into a mold to reach a high level of education which eventually widens the achievement gap. In Oakes article, teacher state that within four days without an assignment they can tell who will succeed and who will be passed along. Less than a week into school teachers already know the fate of their students and many don 't do anything to help change their

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