9/10/2010
The Nettleton School Board, though charged to set policies that effectively operate the schools and to lead the district's efforts to comply with federal standards regarding inclusion and diversity, does not currently publish the minutes from its meeting. Parents and community stakeholders cannot find any information about the boards policies online or through other easily accessible, or regular correspondence. This lack of transparency is counterproductive to healthy communication between school leadership and the community it serves; and only leads to unfair and in some cases, corrupt, actions. Without the ability to monitor the decisions set by the district's leadership, parents and community stakeholders are without the appropriate information to enforce accountability among the key policymakers designed to protect the school's (i.e., students) common good.
This issue of school segregation is not one that exists in a vacuum. Though the Nettleton School District is the latest example of an educational environment openly practicing discrimination, it is not alone. Unfortunately, de facto segregation and illegal discrimination against students because of their race, ethnicity, gender, and s*xual orientation continue to plague school districts in Mississippi, and many other states, preventing them from elevating their social policies to the standards of the 21 st Century.
"In the story of Nettleton is the story of Greenville, Hazelhurst, Lee County, and Jackson County," said Hill. "It's the story of every place in Mississippi where there are predominately African American communities languishing in extreme poverty. We are still living with the reality of discrimination. We still have the Jim Crow culture to overcome."
As research has shown, segregation in educational environments is not only morally detestable; it also undermines the concept of free competition, which does students of every ethnicity a complete disservice in this global economy.
Not only is segregation a civil and human rights violation, it is perhaps one of the best ways to ensure the lack of competitive edge in an increasingly diverse business community. These policies and actions-- particularly the alleged culture around separate and unequal access to advanced courses-- have important implications on the collegiate performance and socioeconomic future of our next generations of leadership.
Much more than empty promises of equal opportunity are needed to ensure an end to the persistent human and civil rights violations that undermine student's access to quality education. There must be an institutional commitment to do what is right not only when the cameras are turned on, or when the public is in uproar about a specific incident.
The commitment to diversity and inclusion must be woven into the fabric of our school district's daily operations, highest aspirations, and ultimate measure of success.
To begin, School Districts- Nettleton in particular-- should publish the minutes from each board meeting, so that the community of educators and social justice advocates can accurately hold their leadership accountable. The community of parents and education stakeholders must also be engaged to help schools understand the business model of diversity-- how this collective effort improves our social and work environments, and how we cannot thrive when segregation is allowed to exist.
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Saturday, September 11th 2010 at 3:24PM
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