Redlining Public Education: How Huntsville City Schools excludes students based on where they live, then blames it on "housing patterns"

Redlining, Blockbusting, and Urban Renewal - Oh My

The title of this post was inspired after reading an excerpt from  Redlining Education:  How Universities exclude students based on where they live, by Huntsville native Sheryll Cashin, because Huntsville City Schools excuse for operating a dual school system is school boards can not be held accountable for segregation resulting from "private choices" and housing patterns.

Yes, housing patterns  and "private choices" they created by paving over a generations educational legacy  in the name of urban renewal.

The Von Braun Center sits on land where Alabama A&M originated before it moved outside the city limits. The cemetery of the oldest African church in north Alabama lies deep beneath the hospital parking garage. There is a marker now for 5th Avenue School, Alabama's first public school to integrate peacefully, but the school and the African-American neighborhood across the street are long gone -- first to a housing project, and now to a boutiquey cluster of "artisan" apartments and fancy shops.

If you want your child to attend a successful school purchase a home in a successful school district.

 I purchased a home in the Jones Valley neighborhood of the elementary, middle an high schools that I wanted my children to attend. I need no government help. I did what I was supposed to do. I'm also not going to apologize for living in southeast Huntsville. It's where I was raised and where I raised my children. If you chose to live in north Huntsville, it's my understanding that the north Huntsville people feel that should give them the right to have their children go to which ever school that they wish. I just don't and won't understand black logic. I'm a bad person I guess. I'll shut up and listen to you geniuses.

Easier said than done.  The average home price in "successful school districts cost three times the amount of the average home in "failing school districts."  People live where they can afford to live, not where they choose to live.  If they can afford to pay $250,000 and up for a home, their children have access to the best public education their tax dollars can buy.  Those who can't, have access to the best "failing school" their tax dollars can buy.

 But that's OK,  blame life's unfairness  for the inequality. 

 "If there is unfairness, it is because life itself is unfair. The unfairness is not manmade," said Hugh McInnish, at-large member of the county's Republican Executive Committee.

Casey Wardynski is just doing the job he was hired to do, with the full support of the the board of education, the  Mayor,  the Huntsville/Madison Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP Defense Fund attorney, and some members of the Huntsville Council of  PTAs .

 Casey you have to break the mold and prove you're not afraid of minorities, democrats, liberals, aclu types and the entire entitlement crowd! Do that, and you'll be doing the job you were hired to do! Oh yeah, not to mention striking down all racial transfers. And that includes allowing not allowing whites to racially transfer either. If you don't like where your child goes to school, move to where they can be zoned into a school of your preference, that's what I had to do!

 "If people would just open their eyes and see what's really happening around here, they would be blown away," 

So, three paid groups making nearly $30,000,000 and the Superintendent’s inner circle.
There were no active classroom teachers involved in the decision.
There were no parents who were not employees of the district involved in the decision.
This decision was forced upon us all.

Does Judge Hiakala really expect this superintendent and his cabinet to mediate in good faith?  It's not like they haven't  betrayed the public trust and intimidated the public.

Though the board room was filled with spectators, no one was allowed to speak since the meeting was a special called one. Citizens will be able to offer their input at the board's July 17 meeting.

Housing patterns my Donkey.

Fifty years ago, Huntsville served as a role model for the state. In 1963, Gov. George Wallace ordered state troopers to block school doors in Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile and Tuskegee. But after four days, Huntsville leaders sent the troopers away and peacefully became the first public system in Alabama to integrate.
Seven years later, a federal judge formally ended the city's dual system. For the next four decades the board has technically been working to eliminate traces of segregation.
But even if the Supreme Court has given up on fighting housing patterns, it's pretty clear that Huntsville doesn't know what to do about other inequities. And it's equally clear the feds don't know either.

I strongly disagree the feds don't know what to about other inequities.

The Justice Department did not file a full counter proposal, but did raise a few alternatives. The city could increase desegregation around Blossomwood and Five Points, sending more white students to Lee and more black students to Huntsville High.
"The District could redraw attendance boundaries so that three schools (Huntsville Middle, Chapman Middle, and Lee High) would achieve enrollments closely reflecting district-wide racial composition, and two other schools (Huntsville High and Jemison High) would experience significant desegregative benefits."
The Justice Department suggests zoning University Place Elementary and/or Montview Elementary for Huntsville Middle. They suggest zoning Monte Sano for Chapman Middle and Lee High.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

"We're not of a mind to negotiate with ourselves," said Wardynski. "My focus is on children, not on endlessly talking to the United States government."

See what EYE mean?

The DoJ can’t force people to live where they don’t want to live (yet), so it is basically saying that either Huntsville must engage in massive busing or… engage in massive busing.

Really guys and gals........ just how stupid to you think the U.S. Department of Justice IS?  I mean, really?