Editor’s note: This was first published on the author’s Substack, “citizen stewart,” which covers race, education, and democracy.
Every year, without fail, someone sounds the alarm about the “resegregation of American public schools.” It’s a problem with deep roots and nasty downstream consequences for students in communities with less social capital.
Some of the discussion is grounded in solid, authoritative research. But then you get the terrifically ditzy takes, like a recent Vox article blaming charter schools—serving just 7 percent of U.S. students—for the complex systemic issue of racial segregation. That’s like blaming a storm shelter for the hurricane.
People who genuinely want to solve “the problem we all live with” often resort to shallow, careless analysis. Researchers agree that segregation has escalated to alarming levels over the past three decades. Despite the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954, which declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, schools today are more racially and economically isolated than ever. However, simple explanations that indict charter schools as the culprit are unserious.
Let’s start with a little historical context
The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision marked a significant victory in the fight against racial segregation in public schools. Chief Justice Earl Warren’s unanimous ruling declared that state-sanctioned segregation violated the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 and catalyzed the Civil Rights Movement. However, despite the Court’s clear mandate, there was considerable resistance to desegregation, and implementation was slow and fraught with challenges.
As time passed, the complexities of achieving integration became more evident. Dr. Kenneth Clark, whose research influenced the Brown decision, later acknowledged the underestimated resistance to integration. James Coleman’s studies in the late 1970s revealed mixed results regarding the effects of desegregation, with positive impacts in the South but more destructive effects in the North. These historical perspectives suggest that the integration imperative may not be the sole solution to educational inequality.
Shifting perspectives on integration
In 1969, most Black Americans supported integration across various aspects of life, including schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. However, over the decades, skepticism about integration has grown within the Black community. Contemporary Black thought increasingly questions whether integration is the best path to achieving educational and social equity. Black families challenge the sentiment that Black children need to attend school with white children to succeed. Many Black parents and educators now advocate for quality education in predominantly Black schools, emphasizing the importance of culturally affirming environments and community control over schooling.
Brown should have never suggested that Black schools with Black teachers were inherently inferior due to the absence of whiteness. It’s one thing to say that excluding Black people from attending integrated public schools is racist and wrong, but it’s another to say that only schools with whites can be successful. Many district and charter schools prove that wrong every day.
The current narrative around segregation is all wrong. It’s obsessed with shuffling students of color into predominantly white spaces instead of empowering marginalized communities. This viewpoint misses the mark on addressing the real roots of educational inequality and ignores the potential for building self-determination and choice within these communities. The idea that poor Black kids can’t succeed without white students around is not only flawed but downright harmful. It perpetuates the myth that Black excellence needs whiteness to thrive, undermining the value and potential of predominantly Black schools.
Positive all-Black spaces are important for the healing and development of African American students and adults. Look at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Black churches, and Black fraternities and sororities. These institutions show the immense power of culturally affirming environments. They provide role models, community support, and a sense of identity vital for Black children’s development and success. They also produce the lion’s share of our desperately needed doctors, lawyers, and teachers.
Creating empowering Black educational environments is an option we can’t overlook. The focus must shift towards improving school leadership, quality teaching, and culturally affirming classrooms. Every student deserves the chance to succeed; these environments can help make that happen.
Segregation is a problem with no easy answers
I concede that segregation in public schools is rising. There is a research basis for seeing that trend and worrying about the implications. And, yes, integration is a noble long-term goal. But what does that mean for the average Black and Latino student currently in predominantly nonwhite schools, scraping by with less compared to their peers in whiter schools? What do we do for them now?
The 2020 census tells us the U.S. is more diverse and urbanized than ever, but our schools do not reflect that reality. The chance that two random people are from different racial or ethnic backgrounds has hit 61.1 percent, but you wouldn’t know it walking through most public schools. The urban-rural divide is growing, and the non-Hispanic white population is on the decline, complicating any real push for educational equity.
What’s the urgent solution for students stuck in schools with low expectations, inadequate teaching, sub-prime curricula, ineffective leadership, and a low-key defeatist attitude that swaps academic achievement for the morphine of mediocrity? I mean the schools with fewer resources, teacher shortages, higher student-to-counselor ratios, less access to Algebra, fewer AP class options, and teacher strikes every other year that steal learning time from academically behind students?
Can we fix the ill effects of racist urban planning and social engineering at the root of segregation?
Can we change the hearts and minds of middle-class homebuyers who see life as a foot race between their kids and ours?
Is there a massive change in political will to restructure society so that children of different backgrounds are evenly distributed among schools?
I’m skeptical.
Charter schools: Controversial but effective
Love or hate them, charter schools have proven to be a lifeline for many Black and Latino kids. Nestled in marginalized communities, these schools often provide culturally affirming, safe, and supportive environments where students can thrive. Their success flies in the face of the idea that integration is the only path to educational equity. Sadly, charter schools have to constantly battle ideological wars and accusations from opponents and journalists about perpetuating segregation (and worse).
The Brookings Institute report bluntly states, “High-poverty, high-minority [charter] schools produce achievement gains substantially greater than traditional public schools in the same areas.” This isn’t just a fluke; it highlights the crucial role of school quality over racial or economic makeup. Charter schools offer a tangible solution for improving educational outcomes long before the pipe dream of perfect integration becomes reality.
Taking the charter school option away from families who choose them would barely nudge segregation figures—by a measly 5 percent—but it would rip away a world of opportunity for their students.
Blaming charter schools, school choice, and civil rights groups for stepping back from failed desegregation efforts is not just a misdiagnosis; it’s a dead end. It does nothing for a public school system that’s increasingly nonwhite and poorer.
Empirical evidence on schools and segregation
A comprehensive study looking at school enrollment by race from 1998 to 2015 found that more kids going to charter schools leads to a slight bump in segregation among Black and Hispanic students within districts.
Specifically, a 1 percentage point increase in charter school enrollment raises segregation by 0.11 percentage points.
Statistically significant? Yes. Game-changing? Not really.
The study found some interesting variations based on geography. Charter schools slightly increase segregation in towns or counties, but the effect is negligible in metropolitan areas. This means charter schools might bump segregation within districts but help decrease it between districts in the same metro area.
The debate over charter schools and segregation should weigh these potential drawbacks against their successes in serving vulnerable populations.
As America gets more diverse and urbanized, achieving true educational equity remains a beguiling riddle. Integration is a noble goal, but we also need to empower marginalized communities and ensure quality education where students are.
We must champion self-determination and community empowerment to create educational environments that meet the needs of all students, regardless of race or background.
