Making School Integration Work

Paul Tractenberg is professor emeritus at Rutgers Law School in Newark. Allison Roda and Ryan Coughlan are both assistant professors of education in Molloy College’s Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities Ed.D. program. Deirdre Dougherty is assistant professor of educational studies at Knox College.

“ Making School Integration Work is a study of the ‘Morris story,’ how one New Jersey public school district focused on integration and diversity by combining two communities into one ‘racially and socioeconomically diverse and unified K–12 district’ (p. 5). … The challenges faced by the district as it carried out ‘diversity work’ without an intentional focus on educational equity and access are illuminated. Ultimately, this is a story of superficially celebrating diversity in one district at the expense of actually providing equity of and access to quality education for the communities it serves.”— Choice

• Acknowledgments vii1. Introducing the Morris Story 1A Note About Terminology 2The Morris School District in New Jersey as an Important Case Study 5The Merger Process and Its Aftermath 11 The Morris School District of Today—Almost 50 Years After Merger 12MSD's Current Level of Integration as Compared to the State and National Picture 16Why a Book about the Morris School District? 20Overview of the Book 222. Using Law and Litigation to Advance School Integration 25Why Litigate to Achieve School Desegregation and Integration? 29The Jenkins Decision 32Analyzing Jenkins 40The Impact of the Jenkins Decision 44Lessons Learned 473. The Role of Educational Leadership 50The Link Between Mackey Pendergrast and Steve Wiley 52Culturally Responsive School Leadership 55The Postmerger Period 58Maintaining a Delicate Balance of Diversity: "I Had to Walk a Fine Line with How We Promoted the District" 70Successes and Challenges of School Diversity 77Lessons Learned 854. The Black Student Experience in MSD 90Changing Demographics and the Substantial Loss of Black Students Over Time 97Black Parents Who Leave 104Black Parents Who Stay: "We've Got to Work Harder" to Advocate for Our Children 109The District's Response Then: "Good Intentions" but "It Never Felt Like Priority #1" 122The District's Response Now: Equity and Inclusion 124Lessons Learned 1275. The Latinx Student Experience in MSD 129The Federal/State/Local Policy Landscape of Bilingual Education 130Emergent Bilingual Students in MSD 136Parental Involvement 143Teachers and Support Staff 147School Leaders 153Lessons Learned 154Conclusion: Moving from Desegregation to True Integration 156What Have We Learned in MSD? 159How Should MSD Apply What Was Learned?  163How Can Other School Districts Apply the Lessons Learned from MSD? 164Statutory and Constitutional Authority for Students to Cross Existing District Lines 170Practical Recommendations 174Conclusion 182Appendix A: Statutory Provisions That Enable Students toReceive Education in Districts Other Than Their Districts of Residence 183Appendix B: An Action Plan to Diversify New Jersey's Schools 185Notes 188References 200Index 207About the Authors