A Message to Our CommunityThe Promise of Brown v. Board of EducationJanuary 2004

As we start this new year, we sit on the eve of an important milestone in American history: the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision Brown v. Board of Education. This is a good time to review how far we have come – and how far we have to go – in creating educational opportunity and equity for all children. In May 1954, Brown v. Board of Education pushed open the doors to public education. The historic ruling was hailed as a way to make a quality education accessible to all children.

“Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments,” U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote in the majority opinion. “In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.”

Since that turning point in history, we can be proud of the significant gains made in the just struggle of creating access to a quality education for all students. The gains include Title IX (equal access); support for English language learners; special education and desegregation; funds for disadvantaged youth (Title I).

Yet, despite our efforts, we cannot ignore the fact that there is still a significant achievement gap. Providing truly equitable schools is a formidable task but should not be beyond our grasp. We must recognize that it will take more hard work and funding over a sustained period of time to close the achievement gap. Our shared goal must also remain in focus: teaching and learning.

The federal government implemented the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in an attempt to address some issues of educational inequities. NCLB’s goal is laudable: assessing students’ progress helps us understand the effectiveness of our curriculum and teaching methods.

Unfortunately, the heart and soul of NCLB is about sanctions and punishment, and offers no investment or support for schools most in need.

There are inherent contradictions in NCLB that contribute to inequitable results. Cash-strapped schools cannot afford to pay transportation costs for students who transfer to a higher performing school; high performing schools are often at capacity; families don’t want to leave their neighborhood school; and while NCLB allows for students to receive tutoring, there are little to no funds to provide for that additional support. More importantly, the sanctions don’t address the root of the problem: Why is the school not meeting the NCLB standards?

In short, NCLB is trying to fatten the lamb simply by weighing it. The reality is that NCLB is a shell game functioning on the illusion that it will help low performing students.

If we want positive educational outcomes, we must focus on investing in and supporting our schools. At ACOE, our focus is on providing a quality education for all students with an emphasis on achievement gap issues. But the issues our lowest performing students face are complex and if we are to make progress, we need to continue fostering business, community and education collaborations that bring resources to schools, and we must expand and deepen these partnerships.

As we approach the golden anniversary of that historic U.S. Supreme Court decision, we must ask ourselves whether NCLB, which claims to fulfill the promise of Brown v. Board of Education, is indeed the appropriate vehicle to accomplish these goals.

I always welcome your comments and enjoy hearing from you.

Sheila Jordan is the County Superintendent of Schools. She may be reached at 670-4144 or by e-mail at acoesuperintendent@acoe.org.