Brown’s Promise Releases Comprehensive State Policy Agenda on 50th Anniversary of Milliken v. Bradley
Washington, D.C.—Brown’s Promise today released “Fulfilling Brown’s Promise: a State Policy Agenda,” their detailed policy framework for state leaders ready to address lasting school segregation and inequitable educational funding.
The release coincides with the 50th anniversary of Milliken v. Bradley, a 1974 Supreme Court decision in which the Court rejected a desegregation plan that would have spanned Detroit and its surrounding predominantly white suburban school districts. This decision effectively limited the scope of school integration efforts between many urban and suburban districts across the country and stifled the ability to fully desegregate schools in metropolitan areas.
But the story should not stop there, leaving us stuck in 1974. While Milliken essentially shut the door to most multidistrict, regional integration efforts through the federal courts, state policymakers have a vast array of options available to pick up this critical work. The newly released state policy agenda outlines actionable steps that state leaders can take to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable education. Among the key strategies are rethinking school district boundaries, fully and fairly funding public schools, and investing in integration efforts that foster more inclusive educational environments.
“Milliken should not be the last word on regional integration efforts. There are other pathways available to states and districts to create diverse, well-funded schools, and states should take the lead on making that vision a reality for millions of students attending racially and socially economically isolated schools,” said Saba Bireda, co-founder and chief legal counsel for Brown’s Promise.
As the country commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Brown's Promise urges immediate and sustained action to reverse the enduring impacts of segregation fostered by outdated policies and systemic inertia.
The agenda highlights five key areas that can have a profound impact on school desegregation efforts:
Fully and Fairly Funding Public Schools: Advocating for substantial and equitable funding across districts, emphasizing the need to shift away from today’s definition of local revenue and toward regional or statewide funding for education.
Rethinking School District Lines: Redrawing district boundaries to promote integration and equal access to educational resources, potentially including strategies like enrolling students across district lines or changing the lines themselves.
Ensuring Integration and Resource Equity Within Districts and Schools: Requiring that districts meet both resource equity and integration goals, and providing funding and technical assistance to do so.
Fostering Positive Student Experiences in Integration Efforts: Emphasizing educator diversity, access to advanced, rigorous coursework, and meaningful family and student engagement is key to creating supportive and inclusive educational environments for all students during integration efforts.
Creating an Ecosystem of Integration and Resource Equity: Implementing systemic approaches such as collecting and reporting data, adjusting accountability systems, and leveraging federal support to foster ongoing integration and resource equity efforts.
Ary Amerikaner, co-founder and Executive Director of Brown’s Promise, added, “America's public schools are more segregated than they were when Milliken was decided 50 years ago. But we don’t have to accept that reality as destiny. Working together, we can absolutely make progress.”
The policy agenda also provides concrete examples to show that forward progress is possible, and underscores the role of strategic litigation and advocacy in advancing these goals, suggesting that states have untapped potential to foster school integration. This approach represents a vital, yet largely abandoned avenue to achieving the educational equity envisioned by Brown v. Board of Education more than seventy years ago.
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Hosted at Southern Education Foundation, Brown’s Promise is fighting to advance educational equity through integration. Brown’s Promise combines research, litigation, advocacy, collaboration, and communications to create schools where children from all backgrounds learn together in excellent, well-resourced, diverse environments led by diverse educators. To learn more about Brown’s Promise, visit www.brownspromise.org/about