| You know that racial gap that's getting so much | | | | choice is another hot topic. Frankly, I think that |
| attention? Well, I'm thrilled that it's on the minds of | | | | choice pushes all schools to improve. But not |
| politicians, because it's a problem. Unfortunately, it's a | | | | everyone aggress. The court order was modified in |
| problem with some pretty deep roots. In 1971, San | | | | 1998 to allow elementary age students to attend |
| Jose Public Schools had a dilemma. It seemed to | | | | their neighborhood schools. As a result of the Federal |
| parents that the schools were knowingly and | | | | Court Order, the San Jose School offers parents and |
| purposely segregating students. Hispanics were the | | | | students a wide variety of middle and high school |
| group most targeted in this segregation. So some | | | | program and school choices. In 1971, when |
| parents filed a class action suit with the intention of | | | | segregation of schools in San Jose Schools was |
| forcing the district to remedy the situation. San Jose | | | | examined, San Jose Schools were the only schools in |
| Schools began to address and remedy the problem. | | | | California to have been found guilty of intentional |
| For 18 years - from 1985 when the Federal Court | | | | discrimination. The Court Order consisted of two main |
| Order was settled, to 2003 when they were able to | | | | goals: 1) to minimize racial isolation by allowing parents |
| demonstrate that they had complied with it, the | | | | to choose their schools; and, 2) to enhance academic |
| district has implemented the changes required by the | | | | achievement of all Latino students. In 2003, San Jose |
| court order. A large urban school district, San Jose | | | | Schools were found to be in compliance with the |
| Schools serve approximately 32,000 students. San | | | | order, and were released for Federal Court Oversight. |
| Jose Schools are located fifty miles south of San | | | | The decision is of historical and national significance, |
| Francisco, in the heart of the Silicon Valley. This is a | | | | as San Jose Schools are one of the only districts |
| geographic area of over fifty square miles. The | | | | approaching agreement in partnership with plaintiffs |
| eleventh largest urban school district in California, it | | | | rather than through contentious litigation. But here we |
| has thirty-one elementary schools, seven middle | | | | are in 2007, and all the desegregation effort find San |
| schools, and seven high schools. The student | | | | Jose Schools, and the nations, still struggling with a |
| population is: 31% Anglo 49% Hispanic 13% Asian 3% | | | | racial achievement gap. Perhaps the answer doesn't |
| Black 4% other. From 1985 to 2003, San Jose | | | | lie in is desegregation. Perhaps it lies in the quality of |
| Schools followed the plan to desegregate all of its | | | | each school |
| schools in accordance with a Federal Court Order | | | | San Jose Public Schools Patricia Hawke is a staff |
| signed on behalf of the Hispanic student population. | | | | writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth |
| The decision is based primarily on making school | | | | reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. |
| choices available in the San Jose Schools. School | | | | |