Miami-Dade County Public Schools is participating in a new national effort to improve racial and socioeconomic integration in schools, in part because of the district鈥檚 success with specialized magnet programs.
A national foundation is bringing together school districts, charter school management companies and housing organizations to share ideas about integrating schools and communities over the next two years.
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At the helm of the project is the grandson of an attorney who was part of the legal team that mounted Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case that ended legal segregation in American schools. Despite that ruling, schools throughout the country remain deeply segregated.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a way in which we talk about Brown v. Board, as if it's ancient history, or as if it solved this big crisis in our society. But it just hasn't,鈥� said Stefan Lallinger, a fellow at The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank that is facilitating the integration project known as Bridges Collaborative.
Lallinger is a former principal and administrator in New York City and New Orleans. His grandfather Louis Redding was a pioneering Black attorney who argued key school segregation cases in Delaware that were ultimately combined with others from around the country in Brown v. Board.
鈥淗e dedicated his life to this, and it's not solved,鈥� Lallinger said, referring to his grandfather, who died in 1998 at age 96.
鈥淪o what should I do with my life? I should dedicate my life to it until it's solved.鈥�
The first cohort of the project includes leaders of 27 school districts, including Miami-Dade, as well as representatives from 17 charter schools and 12 housing organizations. The effort seeks to 鈥淸reignite] a nationwide movement for integrated schools and diverse neighborhoods,鈥� by 鈥減roviding them the space and opportunity to learn from one another, build grassroots political support, and develop successful strategies for integration,鈥� according to the Bridges Collective website.
The participating organizations kicked off the project with a virtual summit last month.
鈥淲e had some very rich and deep conversations regarding race and how students need to feel empowered, enfranchised,鈥� said Evonne Alvarez, reflecting on the summit. Alvarez is a Miami-Dade school district administrator focusing on school choice.
鈥淲hat that looks like is increasing diversity in our schools, having programs that have equitable outcomes for all students, and especially making sure that students in underrepresented minority groups are included in programs that maybe they would not have access to otherwise," Alvarez said.
One way to achieve the district鈥檚 goal of better integrating schools is by enhancing already successful magnet programs, which allow students to focus on a specialized course of study like performing arts or environmental science.
The district鈥檚 magnet programs are part of the reason it was chosen to participate in the integration effort.
鈥淢iami-Dade County has a rich history of having magnet schools strategically placed throughout the county that do a fantastic job of drawing in a number of different types of families into those schools,鈥� Lallinger said. 鈥淲e think that there's tremendous potential to carry that even further and to show big districts all across the country that this work really is possible.鈥�
Lallinger acknowledges that his effort is part of a long history of attempts to dismantle school segregation, and that many of those attempts have been unsuccessful. But he argues there鈥檚 a reason to feel hopeful now.
He said his organization has received a lot of interest from people wanting to address school segregation following this year鈥檚 renewed movement for racial justice.
鈥淭his time feels different than it has for many folks in the past,鈥� Lallinger said. 鈥淵ou have ordinary people standing up and demanding change.鈥�
