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#NCSD2025: AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR COMMUNITY
The challenges that our nation is experiencing in this moment are not new to the school integration movement. We have been here before, and we are strong enough to persevere and flourish in the midst of great difficulty. But, as always, we need one another. As difficult as it is to witness such blatant attempts to erase progress made toward a more inclusive and just society, there is power, beauty, and joy in our vision. This is a critical moment for the school integration movement and NCSD’s upcoming national conference will play an important direction-setting role for the coming years.
We need YOU there. So please register for #NCSD2025 today!
Together, we will:
- Exchange stories about on-the-ground efforts to advance school integration in today’s complex landscape.
- Engage in skill-building and collaboration to enhance school diversity initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels.
- Celebrate NCSD’s 15th anniversary by reflecting on our wins, learning from challenges, and charting a bold path forward.
NCSD's National Conference on School Diversity represents the largest cross-sector school integration convening in the nation! This year's event brings together 300+ advocates, educators, policymakers, researchers, students, parents, and integration supporters from across the country to share strategies, exchange best practices, and strengthen the movement for integrated education.
We're excited to welcome Professor Michelle Adams from University of Michigan Law as a keynote speaker. Her new book (12 years in the making!), The Containment, provides a behind-the-scenes accounting of Detroit's infamous Milliken v. Bradley desegregation case. Read an excerpt from the book, a Q&A with Michelle Adams, and reviews/press from the New York Times, Washington Post, and Detroit Free Press.
Additional agenda details can be found here.
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TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S FIRST DAYS MARKED BY ITS HARMFUL AND SHORT-SIGHTED "ANTI-DEI" AGENDA
From day one, the Trump Administration has made it very clear that it will target diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts through Executive Order (EO) and other actions. Here are some of the senior-level political appointees who have already been selected to help advance the Administration's agenda in the Department of Education.
- As expected, the Administration immediately rescinded Biden-era racial equity EOs.
- It has also sought to eliminate DEI programs across the federal government, end "radical indoctrination" in K-12 schools, and expand "educational choice" though so-called "education-freedom" programs.
- In addition, the Administration has directed the Departments of Justice and Education (ED) to issue guidance to states, school districts, and higher education institutions by the end of May "regarding the measures and practices required to comply" with the Supreme Court's 2023 SFFA affirmative action decision.
It is unclear how these actions (among others) will affect school integration efforts in the short and long term. We will continue to monitor events as they unfold.
Related: On February 5 at 10:15am ET, the Committee on Education and Workforce, chaired by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), will hold a hearing titled "The State of American Education." You can tune into the live-stream here.
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Update:
- Bridges Collaborative's Alejandra Vázquez Baur co-authored a commentary that was picked up by Ms. Magazine, which draws lessons from a 2017 policy in New York City Schools designed to "creat[e] a solid, specific, and district-wide policy to centralize legal assessment of any immigration enforcement documentation."
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Update:
- A recent report by the UCLA CRP "explores the past and present of bilingual education in California, and then outlines a series of recommendations for making bilingual education the universal standard of service in the state’s K-12 schools and California a national leader in bilingual education and multilingualism."
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Update:
- The Flood Center recently issued its 2024 Equity Forward Report, showcasing initiatives to advance educational equity in North Carolina. The report highlights stories, data, and outcomes that demonstrate the Center's shared progress toward creating opportunities for every student.
- On February 1, the Flood Center will host the 2025 DRIVE Summit in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum. In-person and virtual tickets are available here.
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Update:
- Choosing an integrating school can feel like a risky choice, and leave us wanting a crystal ball to see the future. In the latest Integrated Schools Podcast episode, "Gratitude and Validation: One Family’s Journey Through Integrated Schools," Susan and her son Elias from Lancaster, PA reflect on their journey through integrating schools. Elias, now a sophomore, is grateful for the things he's gained as White student in predominately Black and brown schools.
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Update:
- Last year marked the 70th anniversary of Brown. v. Board of Education. What milestones have been reached? What lessons emerge from setbacks? And what strategies can advance opportunities for all students? Join LPI for a Brown at 70 webinar series with "prominent education and civil rights experts and contributors to a new book on this topic as they explore the historical, current, and future landscape of American education through the lens of Brown."
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Update:
- Check out MSA's new toolkit, "Unlocking Federal Resources: A Toolkit for Sustaining and Enhancing Magnet Schools," developed in partnership with ED's Diverse Schools Technical Assistance Center. This comprehensive resource is designed to empower state and local education agency leaders, magnet school coordinators, advocates, and stakeholders, offering a clear roadmap to understanding and accessing federal funding opportunities and leveraging these resources to support the development, expansion, and long-term sustainability of magnet schools.
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RESEARCH ADVISORY PANEL (RAP) UPDATES
Learn more about our Research Advisory Panel here.
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NCSD MEMBER DENNIS PARKER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT | |
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Don't Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It: "This book is a collection of intimate stories and evocative photos that uncover the hidden influence of both subtle and overt 'don’t go' messages and the segregation they perpetuate in Chicago. Told by everyday people to Tonika Lewis Johnson and Maria Krysan – a Black artist and a White academic who met through their shared passion for anti-segregation work – the stories paint a rich picture of life in a segregated city."
- Via Gothamist: "The event, titled, 'A Burning House – MLK and the American Experiment,' was presented by WNYC and the Apollo. It featured powerful discussions about Northern segregation, collective responsibility and the urgent need for justice in contemporary society. The program included performances and discussions, with activist Rashad Robinson, the former president of the racial equity group Color of Change, critiquing philanthropy’s role in masking systemic injustices."
- Bay State Banner reports on the Boston Public Library’s recent exhibit on desegregation and busing and a new film about a Black teenager coming of age in Jim Crow-era Florida.
- Re: a play about Ruby Bridges: "Saniya Lavelle has been acting for the past three years. But up to now, the 13-year-old Pittsburgh resident has only portrayed fictional characters. Later this month, she’ll play the lead in 'Look Forward,' the story of Ruby Bridges, the first Black student to integrate the Louisiana school system in 1960."
- "Southeast Texas Stages will present the world premiere of 'Thurgood and Me,' beginning Jan. 17. The play is written by James Bowen and John Manfredi, and a talkback will be held after each performance."
- A screening of 'The Lincoln School Story,' a short film that "highlights the fight of African American mothers in Hillsboro, Ohio for school integration" will kick off Ohio Statehouse’s Black History Month celebration.
Related call for proposals: American University's School of Education Summer Institute on Education, Equity, and Justice issued a call to "educators, researchers, practitioners, and advocates to submit proposals that address innovative and practical ways the arts can be leveraged to dismantle racial inequities, empower students, and promote inclusive learning environments. Chosen presentations will take place in-person on June 20 and 21 in Washington, DC, at the Summer Institute on Education Equity, and Justice. Submissions are due March 2."
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NEWS FROM ACROSS OUR COUNTRY | |
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National -
- ICYMI - Check out ProPublica's civil rights series: "Segregation Academies: Decades After Desegregation, Private Schools Still Divide," which includes a recently-released tool to compare private school demographics to public school demographics in each state.
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Secretary Haaland Designates Five Affiliated Areas to Expand Storytelling at Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park (DOI.gov, Jan. 17) - "Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today announced five current and former schools in Delaware, Virginia and the District of Columbia as affiliated areas of Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park, reflecting a more complete telling of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in 1954 outlawing segregation in public schools."
- NPS affiliation will enhance awareness of Delaware's role in school integration
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How Religious Schools Became a Billion-Dollar Drain on Public Education (New Yorker, Jan. 13) - "The notion of publicly funded subsidies for private schools wasn’t totally new. After courts ordered school integration in the South, in the nineteen-fifties, some municipalities helped finance 'segregation academies' for white students."
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Special ed students benefit from being integrated at school. It doesn't always happen (NPR, Jan. 9) - "Study after study is showing that there's no harm to being included, but there's great risks of harm to being segregated," says Jennifer Kurth, a professor of special education at the University of Kansas. "Kids [with disabilities] who are included develop better academic skills, better communication skills, better social skills, just kind of everything we try to measure."
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Study Looks at Association Between School Segregation and Late-life Dementia (YSPH, Jan. 3) - "Nearly seven million Americans are living with dementia, and the number of individuals with cognitive impairment is expected to rise with the current acceleration of population aging. Recognizing this trend, Dr. Xi Chen, PhD, associate professor of health policy and economics at the Yale School of Public Health, is exploring long-term strategies to counter the rising rate of dementia.Chen recently led a study on how racial segregation in schools may influence the development of dementia in later life. The study appears in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Network Open."
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Study Links School Segregation to Higher Dementia Risk Among Black Americans; Childhood racial segregation in school tied to late-life cognitive outcomes
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Jimmy Carter’s Education Legacy Stretched From the School Board to the White House (Education Week, Dec. 29) - "Carter long maintained that he favored desegregation in that era but that his views were at odds with those of most of his neighbors. In a 2020 biography titled His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life, author Jonathan Alter says that Carter and Rosalynn 'considered themselves realists about the inevitability of integration, which they quietly favored.' But that realism 'extended to their assessment of how far they could stick their necks out,' Alter writes."
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Was President Jimmy Carter an early champion of DEI?; President Jimmy Carter's symbolic impact on civil rights
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School vouchers remain a GOP priority even as voters reject them (Axios, Dec. 26) - "At least 13 states and Washington, D.C., have some form of voucher program, which calls for the state to provide a set amount of money for private school tuition. Eligibility requirements vary...The programs were born out of opposition to school desegregation in the 20th century, per the Economic Policy Institute."
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Massachusetts -
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A lost chapter in Boston’s civil rights struggle, unearthed (Boston Globe, Jan 20) - "On the site where The Embrace memorializes Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King once stood a social club that embodied the city’s earlier fights over racial equality."
- NAACP’s education work marches on
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White House Honors Tufts Economist (Tufts Now, Jan. 16) - "Assistant Professor Elizabeth Setren in the Department of Economics at the School of Arts and Sciences has received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Joe Biden... and is prompted by her research on the significant positive impact on urban students of Boston’s METCO program."
- Tufts economics professor marries economics with social justice, receives presidential award
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HGSE Remembers Robert Peterkin (HGSE, Jan. 10) - "A towering education leader and beloved figurehead of HGSE’s Urban Superintendents Program, Peterkin passed away on December 23...Throughout his academic career, he wrote and lectured on equitable school choice, school governance and desegregation, the achievement gap, and the impact of school reform on the achievement of African American children."
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Cambridge tried to get better racial and economic diversity among students. Now it has one of the most segregated schools in the state. (Boston Globe, Jan. 5) - "Richard Kahlenberg, a researcher at the Progressive Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., was surprised at the disparities in Cambridge, since his earlier research suggested the city’s choice system could be a potential model. 'It is imperative that the district take some dramatic steps to move the system back toward the goal of integration and providing popular choices to parents,' said Kahlenberg."
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Virginia -
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Howard Celebrates the Life of Alumnus Henry L. Marsh III, Richmond's First Black Mayor (The Dig, Jan. 29) - "Howard University honors the remarkable legacy of Henry Levander Marsh III (J.D., '59), civil rights attorney and political pioneer, who passed away on January 23 at the age of 91... Marsh’s career spanned seven decades of public service, during which he championed civil rights, desegregation, and social justice."
- Richmond’s first Black mayor, Henry Marsh, remembered
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Va. courthouse named after civil rights lawyer designated as landmark (Washington Post, Dec. 31) - “In 2020, a Confederate monument came down at the Leesburg courthouse. This year, it was renamed for a civil rights icon [Charles Hamilton Houston] and designated a national historic landmark.”
- Charles Hamilton Houston Courthouse Named a National Historic Landmark
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The Virginia judge who issued the state’s first pro-integration ruling finally gets official recognition (Cardinal News, Dec. 27) - "John Paul Jr. of Rockingham County surprised lawyers on both sides when he ordered the Charlottesville school system (and eventually others) to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s integration ruling."
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Applications are now being accepted for LDF's Marshall-Motley Scholars Program
Named in honor of Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley, MMSP is a revolutionary and groundbreaking commitment to populate the South with a new generation of civil rights lawyers trained to provide legal advocacy of unparalleled excellence, through scholarship support, legal fellowships, and professional mentoring. Review the Application Guide and Application Brochure . The application period closes February 5, 2025.
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The Southern Education Leadership Initiative (SELI) is an intensive, eight-week, paid summer fellowship for emerging leaders ages 20-35 interested in advancing racial equity and improving education from early childhood through college. Placed in nonprofits, school districts, and state education agencies in the South, SELI fellows spend the summer developing as leaders, engaging with valuable stakeholders, and acquiring practical job skills through direct learning experiences. To be considered for the 2025 SELI cohort, all materials must be received by February 3, 2025. | |
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FEB. 6
11am-5:30pm ET
VIRTUAL
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Transforming School Culture and Curriculum: Centering Equity
Roots ConnectED
"Join us for an inspiring journey into the transformative Roots ConnectED Anti- Bias Education Framework. Designed for school leaders, teachers, and educational practitioners committed to fostering inclusive learning environments, this session will provide practical tools and insights to effectively address bias and promote equity in educational settings through shifts in school culture and curriculum."
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FEB. 11-14
10am-4pm ET
VIRTUAL
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NCES Data Users Conference: Responding to the “New Normal"
National Center for Education Statistics
"The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is hosting the Data Users Conference (DUC). The conference’s theme, Responding to the 'New Normal,' will provide an opportunity to highlight research that addresses difficult district, state, and federal education decisions."
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FEB. 13
1:30-3pm ET
VIRTUAL
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Equipping Educators for Redesigned Schools: Scaling Effective Preparation Models in a Post-ESSER World
EdPrepLab
"With the end of ESSER and COVID-19 relief funding, there is an urgent need for long-term solutions to sustain and expand efforts to address educator shortages and improve workforce readiness. Those efforts proved to be successful in preparing new teachers and school leaders to develop schools and classrooms that foster powerful learning and enable thriving for each and every student... EdPrepLab’s Fifth Annual Policy Summit will bring together experts to explore how we can scale these innovative partnerships and align systems to meet 21st-century needs."
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FEB. 13
2-4:15pm ET
VIRTUAL
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Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Education Week
"Social-emotional learning programs have now been in schools for several years, and in many cases, even longer. They aim to teach kids how to regulate their emotions, empathize with peers, make responsible decisions, and build other life skills. A little more than half of the states have adopted standards for the use of SEL in K-12. But in many places, parents and community members have pushed back against the integration of SEL into district curricula, citing concerns that the programs have a liberal political agenda. Even so, growing concerns about students’ declining social skills due to the overuse of cellphones and social media are prompting many schools to use SEL programs to address those concerns."
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Big Ideas: Committing to Educational Equity During Turbulent Times
American University School of Education
"How can education practitioners navigate the shifting environment while advancing access, opportunity, and outcomes for all learners? Join us for Committing to Educational Equity During Turbulent Times, a Big Ideas in Education session that brings together diverse perspectives on the history of educational change, legal frameworks for equity, and the transformative role of educator preparation in shaping society. Together, we’ll discuss strategies for fostering access, addressing inequities, and driving lasting social change with renewed purpose and commitment. This compelling conversation will inspire and empower participants to lead progress in challenging times."
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National Forum on the Future of Assessment and Accountability
Education First
"Education First is launching a National Forum on the Future of Assessment and Accountability. This cross-disciplinary forum will bring leaders together across levels of the K12 system and across a range of perspectives to engage in dialogue grounded in leading edge research to drive change and innovation in policy and practice."
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SXSW EDU 2025
"Four inspiring days. 300+ sessions and workshops. Two competitions. One dynamic Expo. Powerful films and performances. Engaging mentorship and abundant networking opportunities. Be part of the 2025 SXSW EDU Conference & Festival from March 3-6 in Austin, Texas."
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National Conference on Education
AASA
"This year’s Conference involves anticipating future trends, challenges and opportunities in education and proactively shaping strategies and initiatives to address them, for our staff and students alike. Public school superintendents can come together in New Orleans to develop a clear vision for the future of education. The Conference will incorporate emerging technologies (last year we saw a big focus on AI – we’re confident that conversation will expand in 2025), data-driven decisions, and an increased shift towards partnerships and collaborations."
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Fifty Years of Education Finance & Policy: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead
Association for Education Finance & Policy
"This year’s Conference involves anticipating future trends, challenges and opportunities in education and proactively shaping strategies and initiatives to address them, for our staff and students alike. Public school superintendents can come together in New Orleans to develop a clear vision for the future of education. The Conference will incorporate emerging technologies (last year we saw a big focus on AI – we’re confident that conversation will expand in 2025), data-driven decisions, and an increased shift towards partnerships and collaborations."
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MARCH 20
5:30-8pm ET
Rochester, NY
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Urban-Suburban 60th Anniversary Celebration
Urban-Suburban Interdistrict Transfer Program
"For decades, Urban-Suburban Interdistrict Transfer Program, administered by Monroe One BOCES, has been decreasing racial isolation, deconcentrating poverty, and enhancing opportunities for students in the Rochester City School District and the suburban districts in the Greater Rochester area... Rochester’s program is the oldest in the country and the only one of its kind where districts participate voluntarily. The Program that started in 1965 with one district and a small class of 24 students has grown to 14 districts with more than 900 students enrolled annually. We invite you to join us on March 20th to celebrate Urban-Suburban’s rich history, showcase the Program's impact, honor the graduating class of 2025, and raise vital scholarship funds for Urban-Suburban students."
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“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Founded in 2009, the National Coalition on School Diversity is a cross-sector network of 50+ national civil rights organizations, university-based research centers, and state and local coalitions working to expand support for school integration. NCSD supports its members in designing, enacting, implementing, and uplifting PK-12 public school integration policies and practices so we may build cross-race/cross-class relationships, share power and resources, and co-create new realities. | | |
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Contact Us
National Coalition on School Diversity
c/o Poverty and Race Research Action Council
Mailing Address: 740 15th St. NW #300
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-544-5066
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