Gerrymandering and segregation in public schools
Gerrymandering of public school zones has far-reaching consequences. It is imperative to note that the gerrymandering of public school zones fuels the existence of racial and ethnic segregation. This bibliography addresses various research that has been undertaken by various academics and even journalists concerning gerrymandering and discrimination in a public learning institution.
Richards, Meredith P. “The gerrymandering of school attendance zones and the segregation of public schools: A geospatial analysis.” American Educational Research Journal 51.6 (2014): 1119-1157.
In the research journal above, Meredith carries out a geospatial analysis to determine the connection between the gerrymandering of schools and segregation in public schools. The above research journal is unbiased and firmly takes a neutral stand on the issues that it seeks to address. The research journal above is useful, particularly in the upcoming essays, as it adequately addresses the topic at hand. Being a credible source, it provides accurate information that can be referenced in the future while carrying out more research.
The author mentioned above carries out geospatial analysis on gerrymandered public school zones to determine their ethnic characteristics and compares them to the same zones when gerrymandering has not taken place. The outcomes are that gerrymandering, in itself a voluntary activity, serves to fuel ethnic and racial segregation. Ethnic and racial discrimination are issues that have caused a public outcry for a long time. Hence there is a need to eradicate the vices out of society. The author also notes that gerrymandering of schools limits the choices of parents as children can only attend schools that are within their zones. This prompts parents that prefer other schools that are not within their zones to give false information on their residential areas. The author mentions that the effects of gerrymandering are mostly highlighted in the zones that are experiencing rapid ethnic and racial change. From the analysis, the author admits that in some cases, especially in a minority of districts, gerrymandering helps to reduce segregation. It is imperative to note that such areas are under desegregation orders.
Siegel-Hawley, Genevieve. “Educational gerrymandering? Race and attendance boundaries in a demographically changing suburb.” Harvard Educational Review 83.4 (2013): 580-612.
The above author’s research focuses on analyzing racial discrimination in the United States. Her research also focuses on improving inclusivity within the school communities. In the author’s academic journal, she addresses the impact of gerrymandering on different races without biasedness, most squarely. The above academic journal will be useful as a reference during the upcoming essays and would undoubtedly be helpful in the forthcoming research projects that would be undertaken. The academic journal is recent and hence relevant to the current studies. Moreover, the author is a credible scholar whose work is reliable.
The author, Genevieve Hawley, notes that the ever-changing demography in some areas, particularly in the suburbs, poizes both challenges and opportunities to the schools in equal measure. The author notes that continually, the increasing populations cause stress on the available education facilities, hence prompting new schools to be built to accommodate the rising population. When the schools are made, new segregation lines are drawn and hence educational gerrymandering. During this activity, the attendance lines are also likely to be re-drawn. In her submission, the author also notes that depending on how the exercise is carried out, it may serve to foster diversity in school or help to fuel racial and ethnic segregation. Genevieve Hawley also examines the original school attendance zones, the suggested and the final high school attendance zones to come up with accurate findings. According to the author’s conclusions, the officials failed to recognize the ever-changing demographic compositions of suburban areas. Hence, the exercise led to increased racial segregation within high school attendance zones and, therefore, may be subject to legal scrutiny. Subjecting the use of judicial scrutiny will, in turn, prevent other schools from carrying out the bad redistricting policies. Racial and ethnic segregation is unacceptable, considering that children from different backgrounds and races should have access to the same facilities. This fosters a peaceful co-existence among people of diverse races. This also serves to honour the constitution of the United States whose mandates are to uphold the rights of the American citizens.
Leigh, Patricia Randolph. “Segregation by gerrymander: The creation of the Lincoln Heights (Ohio) school district.” Journal of Negro Education (1997): 121-136.
In the above article, the author Patricia Randolph adequately addresses social stratification. In the submission above, the author records the interaction between economic undertakings, and educational chances, and how the above factors lead to the emergence of racial segregation and school districts. The high source is reliable and hence can be used as a valuable reference both in the upcoming essays and the research projects. The journal is also recent, which proves its relevance to the current studies. Through the journal, the author, Patricia Randolph, analyses how the mapping of some school districts was influenced by various factors. Some school districts were formed to fuel the idea of social stratification, where economically advantaged children were put in school districts that enabled them to attend similar schools. Likewise, financially disadvantaged children were placed in school zones that allow them to participate in the same schools. A clear line existed between economically advantaged children and economically underprivileged children. In his submission, the author also states that some school zones were segregated in such a way that they could only be accessible to children of a similar race. Gerrymandering, in this case, was done deliberately to push for such racial discrimination. It is imperative to note that politics also played a significant role in the gerrymandering of schools. The mapping of school districts is a delicate exercise that should be carried out with utmost meticulousness. Without this, the consequences will be dire since the vices such as racial segregation that the society fights will be filed. Racial discrimination causes divisions between people who interact in their day to day activities. On the upside, when this exercise is done with the utmost care, it provides room for the society to thrive, both socially and economically. School zones should be mapped in such a way the schools are accessible to all children, regardless of their race. The children should also be able to access the schools irrespective of their economic situations as they have a right to access quality education. Likewise, mapping of school zones should not be done while keeping in mind the various political affiliations of the people. Gerrymandering is done to disadvantage members of political rivals. It should be taken into account the consequences of gerrymandering on school-going children are dire.
Sohoni, Dinesh, and Salvatore Saporito. “Mapping school segregation: Using GIS to explore racial segregation between schools and their corresponding attendance areas.” American Journal of Education 115.4 (2009): 569-600.
Both Dinesh Sohoni and Salvatore Saporito have conducted various studies regarding racial segregation. The above authors employ the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to bridge the school zone attendance and data obtained from census undertaken previously. The journal is reliable and hence will aid in future research that would be undertaken. Additionally, the journal will be useful as a reference while writing essays.
The above authors, Deenish Sohoni and Salvatore Saporito, set to determine whether attending schools out of the designated school zones changes the extent of racial discrimination in the public learning institutions. The authors carry out a study and compare the racial distribution of public schools with the racial distribution of their respective attendance areas. The authors noticed that racial segregation would be mitigated when children are allowed to attend schools that are within their school zone districts. On the other hand, private and charter schools are likely to encourage racial segregation. The findings also show that racial discrimination becomes lower from the elementary, middle, and high schools. The results also show that there are no differences in segregation between the school zones and the schools present across all levels.
Fiss, Owen M. “Racial Imbalance in the Public Schools: The Constitutional Concepts.” Harvard Law Review (1965): 564-617.
According to Owen Fiss, the solution to racial discrimination in public schools is still controversial. The author recognizes that the school is constitutionally mandated to correct the racial imbalance. In some cases, the school board is required to initiate the process of adjusting the imbalance.
Highsmith, Andrew R., and Ansley T. Erickson. “Segregation as splitting, segregation as joining: Schools, housing, and the many modes of Jim Crow.” American Journal of Education 121.4 (2015): 563-595.
Both Andrew Highsmith and Ansley Erickson admit that some school zones and attendance districts were deliberately gerrymandered to encourage racial segregation. The above source is reliable; hence can be used as a reference in future essays and research projects.
Saporito, Salvatore. “Irregularly-shaped school attendance zones and racial integration.” Social Science Research 64 (2017): 299-318.
In the above submission by Saporito Salvatore, a wide array of issues are addressed. The author investigates the similarity between the geographic structure of school attendance zones and the level of social discrimination in the corresponding attendance zone. The findings of the above study reveal that irregularly shaped school attendance zone has got lower levels of racial discrimination.
Sedler, Robert Allen. “School Segregation in the North and West: Legal Aspects.”. Louis ULJ 7 (1962): 228.
In this submission by Robert Allen, it is evident that racial affiliations highly influence residential patterns. The above author also admits that the law does not sanction the racial segregations that are present within the schools.
Maslow, Will. “De Facto Public School Segregation.” Vill. L. Rev. 6 (1961): 353.
Maslow Will highlights the rulings made by the courts previously to invalidate the statutes of some countries that either compelled segregation in schools or even permitted it. The author also highlights that the school official’s instigated racial segregation in schools.
Monarrez, Tomas. “Attendance boundary policy and the segregation of public schools in the united states.” Unpublished manuscript. May 4 (2018).
Tomas Monarrez indicates that social desegregation has been a priority of the United States. Racial segregation is a vice that should be dealt with, beginning from the school. Irresponsible gerrymandering of public school zones is a major blow to efforts that have been put in place to deal with racial segregation.
Works cited
Fiss, Owen M. “Racial Imbalance in the Public Schools: The Constitutional Concepts.” Harvard Law Review (1965): 564-617.
Highsmith, Andrew R., and Ansley T. Erickson. “Segregation as splitting, segregation as joining: Schools, housing, and the many modes of Jim Crow.” American Journal of Education 121.4 (2015): 563-595.
Leigh, Patricia Randolph. “Segregation by gerrymander: The creation of the Lincoln Heights (Ohio) school district.” Journal of Negro Education (1997): 121-136
Maslow, Will. “De Facto Public School Segregation.” Vill. L. Rev. 6 (1961): 353
Monarrez, Tomas. “Attendance boundary policy and the segregation of public schools in the united states.” Unpublished manuscript. May 4 (2018).
Richards, Meredith P. “The gerrymandering of school attendance zones and the segregation of public schools: A geospatial analysis.” American Educational Research Journal 51.6 (2014): 1119-1157.
Saporito, Salvatore. “Irregularly-shaped school attendance zones and racial integration.” Social Science Research 64 (2017): 299-318.
Sedler, Robert Allen. “School Segregation in the North and West: Legal Aspects.”. Louis ULJ 7 (1962): 228.
Siegel-Hawley, Genevieve. “Educational gerrymandering? Race and attendance boundaries in a demographically changing suburb.” Harvard Educational Review 83.4 (2013): 580-612
Sohoni, Dinesh, and Salvatore Saporito. “Mapping school segregation: Using GIS to explore racial segregation between schools and their corresponding attendance areas.” American Journal of Education 115.4 (2009): 569-600.