Register for #NCSD2025, our 5th national conference and the largest cross-sector school integration convening in the nation! We provide space for researchers, advocates, policymakers, educators, students, parents, and other supporters to coalesce around a shared commitment to integrated education. Attendees exchange best practices; discuss and generate tools and ideas to introduce, enhance, or protect school diversity initiatives in their communities; and build supportive relationships. | |
|
FOSTERING DIVERSE SCHOOLS (FDS) GRANTEE UPDATE
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has been holding listening sessions with students, staff, parents, and guardians for months to discuss its FDS grant that could bring new residential boundaries to reduce concentrated poverty and promote inclusivity. If approved, the new maps could take effect as early as the 2026-27 school year, with the first phase of the project concluding after the final public input session on December 5, 2024. So far, the district has heard from more than 7,500 people, close to their 8,000-person goal.
END OF THE 118TH CONGRESS
The House and Senate approved a Continuing Resolution (CR) to avoid a government shutdown on October 1, 2024. The CR will keep the government funded until December 20, 2024, and Congress must pass the FY2025 funding bills before it expires. There is potential for another CR to extend into 2025. Stay tuned for updates.
PREPARING FOR POLICY SHIFTS
Linda McMahon’s Metamorphosis: Ed Nominee’s Journey Mirrors the GOP’s Turn to Trump: She once voiced a desire to cut racial achievement gaps and said private school was for those who could 'afford it.' She’s changed. So has the party. (The 74, Nov. 25) - Linda McMahon, circa 2009: "'Segregation of schools is wrong and inappropriate and every child ought to have equal opportunity,' she told the committee voting on her appointment to the Connecticut board. A 1996 state supreme court decision in a long-running school desegregation case, she said, 'clearly put a mandate on the table” to eliminate racial isolation for students.'"
A Bill to Kill the Education Department Is Already Filed. Here’s What It Says (Education Week, Nov. 25) - "The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD)...would redistribute key programs to other federal agencies."
| | | |
|
NCSD STAFF UPDATES
What We've Been Up to Recently
| | |
|
Earlier this month, NCSD held its "Reflecting on Our Legacy, Building Our Future" event to celebrate its 15th anniversary and the legacy of founding member and policy advisor, PRRAC's Phil Tegeler. It was a beautiful evening filled with community and connection. Read more from NCSD's director Gina Chirichigno, which also includes more photos from the event. Check out our press release for NCSD's 15th year as well, and consider making a donation to help us continue our important work ahead for Giving Tuesday (12/3) or your end-of-year charitable giving. | |
|
FORMER NCSD INTERN SELECTED AS RHODES SCHOLAR-ELECT
Congratulations to Sayda Martinez-Alvarado of Leesburg, VA, who was recently awarded a 2025 Rhodes scholarship! In 2021, Sayda joined NCSD's inaugural cohort of education policy interns.
Via YaleNews (Nov. 18): "Sayda Martinez-Alvarado is a graduate of the Yale College Class of 2023, where she majored in psychology and was in the Education Studies Program. Since graduation, she has been working at EdTrust, a national nonprofit committed to expanding educational access and opportunity for students of color and students of low-income backgrounds. There, she serves as a senior policy analyst for higher education, conducting research and policy analysis on financial aid accessibility and the role that social belonging plays in college access and attainment."
The Rhodes Scholarship is "one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious academic awards for graduate study. The scholarships provide comprehensive funding for two to three years of study at the University of Oxford." Read more via YaleNews.
| |
#NCSD2025 SPONSORSHIP AND HOTEL BLOCK | |
|
BECOME A #NCSD2025 SPONSOR
NCSD has always been committed to providing a space for researchers, advocates, policymakers, educators, students, parents, and supporters to come together and strengthen the movement for integrated education.
If you believe in this cause and want to support #NCSD2025 and the school integration movement, become a sponsor.
See sponsorship levels (slide 5) and contact gchirichigno@prrac.org for more information.
| |  |
|
BOOK YOUR STAY IN OUR HOTEL BLOCK
See The Morrow DC's rates and book.
The Morrow DC Hotel
222 M Street NE
Washington DC, 20002
The Morrow Hotel is nestled in the center of the NoMa neighborhood, mere blocks from Union Market and minutes from nearby Amtrak (Union Station) and Metro (NoMa-Gallaudet U) stations. Located on the site of the former Central Armature Works, the hotel embraces the dynamic, industrious and artful NoMa community that surrounds it.
| | |
|
Update:
ELC is offering a three-part webinar series about the future of public education during Trump 2.0:
- November 2024: What Do We Do Now? No Vouchers! Public Funds Are For Public Schools! (watch the recording)
- December 2024: What Do We Do Now? Money Matters More Than Ever So States Can Make the Grade!
- January 2025: What Do We Do Now? Students’ Rights Are Civil Rights!
| | |
|
Update:
- See IDRA's latest federal policy update, "Our Vision, Policy Direction and the Election," which includes " all students must have access to truthful, diverse and accessible curricula; rigorous education programs; high-quality learning materials; prepared and supported educators; and meaningful leadership opportunities in well-funded and equitably-funded schools."
- See also IDRA's Project 2025 analysis (available in English and Spanish).
| | |
|
Update:
- In the wake of the election results Integrated Schools Podcast hosts Dr. Val Brown and Andrew Lefkowits sit down to reflect on what it means for ourselves, for the Integrated Schools movement, and for the institution of public education. Tune in to the episode.
-
Just released: Andrew and Dr Val are joined by Saba Bireda and Ary Amerikaner to discuss the work of Brown's Promise, an organization working with local communities on region-specific strategies for building integrated and equitable public schools.
| | |
|
Update:
- The day after the presidential election, Damon Hewitt authored a letter, "We Will Not Back Down—Our Fight for Justice is More Urgent Than Ever," which reinforces commitments to "Protect and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, in the workplace, in economic systems, and beyond."
| | |
|
Update:
- LPI and partners are hosting a four-part webinar series in December to provide policymakers and others with education-related resources for the 2025 legislative session, including the most up-to-date research, tools, and examples of effective, evidence-based state policy approaches. Register for one or more of the upcoming webinars.
| | |
|
Update:
- The day after the presidential election, our own Jenna Roberson wrote a letter to LTLT's community, "Is It Time To Reignite Our Movement?" and shared some background on the org and initial insights from the election results: 1) a clear education divide, 2) working-class people of all races struggling and seeking change, and 3) the power of social media to shape public opinion and its use as a source of news, especially for youth.
| | |
|
Update:
- Milly Arbaje-Thomas participated on a panel at the MIT Blueprint Labs about the legacy of Boston’s landmark school integration decision from 50 years ago. She was joined by researchers, policymakers, educators, and community members and engaged in a powerful conversation about the decision's enduring impact on education for historically disadvantaged students, including both the progress made and the challenges that remain.
| | |
|
Update:
- Nyah Berg authored an op-ed in City Limits re: How NYC’s Housing Shortage Drives School Segregation & Disinvestment. She writes: "We’ve been ready to turn the page on our troubled history of segregation. While many education advocates remain disheartened by the lack of focus on school policies that could further integration, Appleseed finds a silver lining in forward-looking policy changes, like the City of Yes that showcase potential for New York City to be a more functional, affordable, and livable place for generations to come."
| | |
|
Update:
- A new report by OBI, "Belonging: Bridging Beyond Othering" is part of a collaboration with Belonging Colorado, a project of The Denver Foundation. The teams worked together to inform Colorado stakeholders on moving to a place of belonging without othering into practice through bridging. The report synthesizes some key frameworks of bridging and belonging and reflects on the experiences of a changing, growing Colorado.
| | |
|
Update:
- The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy's "Civil Rights and Civil Repair" project led by Susan Eaton recently added to its "body of work... inspired by [the Center's] recognition of past and present injustices in society and by our belief in philanthropy’s potential to help redress and repair those harms." The Center's new "Beating Back the Bans: How Can Philanthropy Fight the Censorship Movement" materials include a video and infographic created with support from Peter Piazza of the School Diversity Notebook.
| | |
|
RESEARCH ADVISORY PANEL (RAP) UPDATES
- In the wake of the 2024 election, Linda Tropp and others weighed in on what we can do now to preserve our well-being and our democracy. She writes: "As our society has grown more divided and diverse, we are increasingly called upon to engage with people who differ from us in some ways. Bridging differences, then, involves the daily practice of being neighborly, regardless of who those neighbors happen to be."
-
Casey Cobb was quoted in a piece titled "Trump wants to dismantle the Department of Education. What does that mean for Connecticut?" and this piece on school district rankings.
- The American Journal of Law and Equality published a symposium on the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education with contributions from many prominent legal and social science scholars, including Erica Frankenberg.
-
Genevieve Siegel-Hawley authored an op-ed titled "How privatization efforts are resurrecting school segregation," arguing "Contemporary segregation in Virginia private schools and legacy segregation academies persist. Racial and ethnic diversity in the private school sector lags far behind the public one. And former segregation academies are substantially less diverse than the private school sector as a whole."
Learn more about our Research Advisory Panel here.
| |
|
INDIVIDUAL MEMBER UPDATES
-
Kevin Welner authored an op-ed in The Conversation titled "What would it mean if President-elect Trump dismantled the US Department of Education?" and was quoted for similar pieces here and here.
- Earlier this month, Rick Kahlenberg participated in a forum with The 74 on the importance of teaching common democratic values, including through school integration, and also spoke about the need to address housing affordability and segregation at an AEI forum.
| |
CROSS-MOVEMENT RESOURCE LIST | |
-
Call for Proposals: The 2025 Black Artistic Freedom Conference: Hip Hop Praxis From the Classes to the World welcome a diverse array of submissions that honor this conference as a platform for deep discussions, workshops, and exhibitions that emphasize the cultural significance of Black creativity as a catalyst for societal change. Submission Deadline: Monday, December 2, 2024 at 11:59pm
- Join Roots ConnectED for its new virtual 1-day institute "Transforming School Culture and Curriculum: Centering Equity" taking place online on February 6, 2025. Gain practical tools and insights to effectively address bias and promote equity in educational settings through shifts in school culture and curriculum. Learn more and register and/or contact with questions.
| | | |
NEWS FROM ACROSS OUR COUNTRY | |
|
National -
-
Study finds suburban school districts diversified since 2000, but urban districts saw more racial isolation (KU News, Nov. 25) - "New research from the University of Kansas has found that school segregation is changing, especially in traditionally predominantly white suburban districts, but that racial isolation is increasing in urban districts."
-
Open enrollment ‘increasingly’ school choice option (K-12 Dive, Nov. 21) - "Sixteen states have laws allowing open enrollment across school districts, and almost as many permit open enrollment within a district...In Connecticut and Nebraska, states use open enrollment to boost school integration, according to ECS, which tracks education policies and legislation."
-
We Need a New Civil Rights Movement, Built on Love | Opinion (Newsweek, Nov. 19) - "Thurgood Marshall, Constance Baker Motley, Charles Hamilton Houston, Pauli Murray—all those men and women who loved this country and pushed the nation to face its unfulfilled promises. They knew, as we know now, that a democracy cannot thrive under the weight of apartheid, hypocrisy, and segregation."
-
David Brooks: How the Ivy League Broke America: The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new. (The Atlantic, Nov. 14) - "The meritocracy has created an American caste system. After decades of cognitive segregation, a chasm divides the well educated from the less well educated."
-
Inequities persist for Black students, report finds (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov. 1) - "A new report from the Atlanta-based Southern Education Foundation finds that seven decades after the U.S. Supreme Court mandated racial integration of public schools, academic outcomes for Black students lag behind their peers."
| |
|
Kansas -
-
Superintendent of the Year: Tiffany Anderson, Topeka Public Schools (K-12 Dive, Nov. 26) - "The first Black woman superintendent of Topeka—the school district famously at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 ban on school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education—has been recognized by publications like The Washington Post over the course of her 30-year career in education for making schools 'work' for poor children."
-
New research spotlights a Kansas school that helped pave the way for Brown v. Board of Education (KCUR, Nov. 21) - Led by faculty and student researchers from MidAmerica Nazarene University, "'This project will invite Kansans to learn more about local heritage and the important role Kansas played in the history of school desegregation,' said Julie Mulvihill, executive director of Humanities Kansas, in a statement."
| |
|
Maryland -
-
County school board delays vote on contract for boundary study consultant (MoCo 360, Nov. 21) - "Analyses of boundaries have divided the MCPS community in the past. In 2019, MCPS conducted a countywide boundary analysis. While district leaders said at the time the review wouldn’t result in changes, the analysis sparked debate over the value of school diversity versus students attending schools close to their homes."
| |
|
Massachusetts -
-
Racial imbalance advisory council reinvigorated (Bay State Banner, Nov. 21) - "In late October, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education received an annual report from its Racial Imbalance Advisory Council. Massachusetts’ landmark school desegregation law created the council in 1965...The report finds that 63% of Massachusetts’ 1,811 public schools are segregated and highlights the overlap of racial and economic segregation."
-
Boston’s Better Busing Experiment: METCO Makes Huge Educational Impact (The 74, Nov. 13) - "Since 1966, METCO has brought students from Boston to schools in nearby suburbs. A recent study finds that it boosts their learning—and earnings."
| |
|
Missouri -
-
What a Moberly court case in 1955 tells us about teacher diversity today (Columbia Missourian, Nov. 14) - "The [Brooks v. Moberly] case, which the teachers ultimately lost, points to an unintended consequence of how the integration of public schools happened after the 1954 landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education. 'There wasn’t this idea of bringing Black teachers, Black administrators on board as well, and it is something that impacted the nation,' said Brittany Fatoma, an adjunct professor in the University of Missouri’s College of Education and Human Development."
- Related: Scholar Leslie T. Fenwick has moved away from framing this issue as an "unintended consequence," asserting that Massive resistance to Brown’s integration decision purged Black educators (The Brookings Institution, May 9, 2023).
- Related member resource on this topic: LDF Thurgood Marshall Institute's Social Science Review recently added a new paper to its repository: Black Educators as Essential Workers for Educational Equity by Kesha Moore. "Moreover, the backlash to the Supreme Court’s mandate to desegregate public schools 'with all deliberate speed' created widespread dismissals and demotions of Black educators who had previously taught in the segregated public school system."
| |
|
New Jersey -
-
Should New Jersey School Districts Merge to Increase Diversity? (NJ.com, Nov. 14) - "A 2018 lawsuit claims the level of segregation in state schools violates students’ rights to integrated schools. But a new poll found that most voters don’t know anything about the lawsuit nor do they think the state is segregated."
-
Poll: Most NJ voters don’t see schools as segregated (NJ Spotlight News, Nov. 13) - "Most New Jersey voters are largely unaware that the state’s public schools are the sixth most segregated in the country for Black students, seventh for Latino...Such were the findings of a Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll that found just 20% of respondents were aware of the legal case challenging the system brought by the Latino Action Network and others."
| |
|
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.
| |
| |
|
MCEL National Convening
Men of Color in Education Leadership
"Education is a field that thrives on diversity, yet only 3% of educators are men of color. With few men of color choosing education as a career path and a higher rate of attrition among them, men of color in educational leadership could be facing extinction within the next decade. MCEL recognizes the urgency of the situation and invites men of color from across the country to converge at this event, where they can authentically be themselves, focus on personal and professional growth, and find healing. This conference provides an invaluable safe space, fostering dialogue, empowerment, and support."
| | | |
|
“I intend to destroy segregation by positive and embracing methods...When my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them.”
–Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray (1945)
| |
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. | | |
|
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
| | | | |
