2008 Wheelock College Winter Policy Talks
Racially-based School Placement: The Supreme Court Speaks
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
What is the impact of the ruling on communities, schools practitioners, families and students?
Parents Involved In
Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Meredith
v. Jefferson County Board of Education echoed the local 2004 decision in Samantha J. Comfort,
et al v. Lynn School Committee in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the First Circuit ruled that the Massachusetts school should use
racial distinctions only as a “last resort” to achieve its diversity
goals. However, the Court’s fractured opinions invite debate to determine
what does and does not constitute legal race-conscious programs.
A diverse panel of community leaders and academics, including Dr. Richard J. Robison, Carole Berotte Joseph, Terry Meier, William Rodrigues and Eugene Thayer, will gather for an in-depth discussion of the ruling’s practical application and impact on communities, schools practitioners, families and students.
Marta T. Rosa, M.Ed., Director of Government Affairs and Interim Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Learning at Wheelock, will moderate the discussion.
