5 Policy Solutions to End School Segregation
In education, as in gardening, we have finite resources. To expand the limits of what those resources can produce, we have to take a holistic view. Adjusting sun, water, or soil alone could make a difference, but for every single plant to truly thrive, you need to consider all these factors together.
The same is true of policies to create better, more integrated public schools. We have identified five key policy solutions for state leaders. Progress in any one of these areas would help, but the best results will come from doing them all together.
Water your garden
Fund public schools fully and fairly
Today, the quality of a child’s education depends on the wealth of the zip code they are born into — but good policy can change that.
Where you plant
Rethink school district lines
District lines are responsible for about 60% of all segregation today. Redrawing those lines — or making them less rigid — is a powerful way to create more diverse schools.
Sunshine
Center positive student experiences
The point of integration is to improve students’ lives, but integrated schools have not always been warm, welcoming places for all students.
Mix of seeds
Ensure integration within districts
Just like school districts, enrollment zones within districts are often gerrymandered to separate students by race and income.
Soil
Cultivate a supportive policy ecosystem
To create sustained change, we need data and accountability systems that promote integration and resource equity over time.
Learn more about state policy solutions to end segregation
Read our full report — Fulfilling Brown's Promise: A State Policy Agenda
Keep up with our work to end school segregation
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