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Arne Duncan's WaPo letter re Wake County

Posted by Dr. Terry Stoops at 08:21 AM

U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, weighs in,

America's strength has always been a function of its diversity, so it is troubling to see North Carolina's Wake County School Board taking steps to reverse a long-standing policy to promote racial diversity in its schools ["In N.C., a new battle on school integration," front page, Jan. 12]. The board's action has led to a complaint that has prompted an investigation by our Office for Civil Rights, but it should also prompt a conversation among educators, parents and students across America about our core values. ...

Wake County did not have a "long-standing policy to promote racial diversity." It was a policy implemented for 10 years aimed at promoting "socioeconomic" diversity. Race-based busing is a no-no according to the U.S. Supreme Court.

And for all of that "diversity," Wake County achieved a 56.3 percent graduation rate for black males and a 50.3 percent graduation rate for Hispanic males. Arne claims to care about student achievement, but, in this case, Arne really took his eye off the ball.

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