Justices question school-diversity plans as race, education return to U.S. Supreme Court

[madmusic]

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press Writer

(AP) - WASHINGTON-Five of the nine Supreme Court justices seem to be saying U.S. school systems may run afoul of the Constitution by using students' race to promote diversity in the classroom.

Should the justices eventually vote along those lines in two cases argued Monday, similar plans in hundreds of districts nationwide could be imperiled and public school systems would have a more limited arsenal to maintain racial diversity.

snip

"Regardless of how well-motivated, allowing the state to engineer racial mixing only creates racial stereotypes and increases racial tension," said Terry Pell, president of the Center for Individual Rights, a public interest law firm. "The court needs to put an end to state-mandated tinkering with race."

The administration of President George W. Bush took the side of the parents who are suing the school districts, as it had intervened on behalf of college and graduate students who in 2003 challenged Michigan's policies of using race as one of the considerations in whether to accept college students.

http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/o/51/12-05-2006/98330046389dfa1f.html

Ignore me all you want, but throw "Terry Pell" and "Center for Individual Rights" into a Google search. Add Federalist Society for more fun. Add Coulter for even more.

I'll say it again and again and again. As long as these freaks control the courts, the election doesn't mean shit.

Relax. Take your Prozac and go back to sleep.

[MADem]

1. If the courts fuck up the diversity of schools, which is a strength, based on race,

I say they should go to a formula that includes family income and zip code of residence and secondary school. Work around the bastards!

[madmusic]

2. gerrymander the schools?

That's a good idea and there is already legal precedent for it in election gerrymandering. That might work.

Honestly, I don't know much about this case and conflict and don't know how well what is in place is working, or if it needs changed.

But I do know The Federalist Society are sneaky rat bastards and anything they are doing is suspect.

[AllegroRondo]

4. My understanding of the Portland case

the Portland school district allows any child to go to any high school they choose. If a school has too many kids that apply, the applicants are selected based on three factors in this order:
1) kids with siblings in the same school
2) kids geographically closer to the school
3) by race to make the school population closer to the racial makeup of the school district as a whole. If a school has more whites than average, white kids are denied. If a school has more blacks than average, black kids are denied.

about 100-200 kids per year are denied their first school choice based on race.
The school district's argument is that its not discrimination, because the point is not to exclude kids of only a certain race, but to make the schools more racially diverse. The parents position is that any denial of school choice based on race is wrong.

tough case, as I see it.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Back to segregation, eh?

Thanks, Bush.