2006
Week 14
April 7, 2006

Yo

Life is getting mean at the Not-O.K. corral.

Folks in Omaha picked up their evening paper Thursday night to discover that Senator Chambers has moved to split Omaha Public Schools into three districts.  And got 33 votes to adopt the amendment.  This is a mandated split, with no say from OPS, no other option for those ordered to do it, and no vote by the ethnic minority population, which is presumed to benefit.

The three districts are to be divided by "community interest," which is code language for race and fits with the senator's comments -- "you give us our schools and we will know how to run them." The state of Nebraska, or any governmental body, may not decide to divide an area by race.  It is unconstitutional -- but now we are getting picky.

Since OPS is L-shaped, the division is fairly clear.  You cut off both ends of the L and leave the middle for #3.  For me, the outrage is not the school, but the city.  After we have worked for decades to move past the North Omaha-South Omaha-West Omaha divisions, the state is about to step in and reestablish the barriers.  One is black, one is Hispanic, one is white.  Big time.  Only 6 senators voted against it.

First, Chamber's side.  He says he is not concerned about segregation vs. integration.  We already have segregation by housing patterns.  He wants top level education in every school and the whites are standing in the way of that in the black schools.  So give us our own district.  Everyone is welcome.  Each child will be well educated.

I have visited with many experienced African-ancestry educators, principles and teachers.  I have asked each to help me understand the positive and negative effects of this plan.  Keep it even.  What does this look like?

I am obviously not going to quote anyone, but they were unanimous in declaring that this plan would hurt education in the African-American community, as well as in the European-ancestry community.  They would be hurt in recruiting teachers without the large district.  They would be hurt training for inner-city schools without the ability to select from a large pool.  There would be turf battles in the Black community that would get in the way of education.  Their kids need to mix with white kids if that is the community in which they are to live their lives.  White kids need to mix with Black kids if that is the community in which they are to live their lives.

I am not defending OPS.  Frankly, they brought this on themselves by promoting a plan to take apart neighboring districts.  So all the 'district neighbors' laughed and voted for Chamber's plan.  However, after the snickering dies down we have to get serious.

There is a bit a boomerang humor here.  If the court strikes down the 3-way split, the whole plan comes down and OPS can go back to merrily dividing neighboring districts.

The Omaha schools debate highlights the difficulty of creating public consensus on tough issues.  One set of comments informs us that there is no racism in the schools or the people.  I trust it is obvious that this is not true.

Our society is racist and we are all racist.  Each of us looks at a stranger, notes the race, and makes judgments about that person.  The assumptions may be accurate or dead wrong.  We cannot help it, as we live in a society that makes much of racial appearance.  This is not an African thing.  When I was a kid, we did the same with Swedes.

Another set of comments tell us that integration within our schools will be achieved by this structure or that.  Again, not true.  Integration, whatever that is, is an immense challenge.  It will take decades.  Not going to happen by Tuesday.  Plus, it is unrealistic to assume we can run enough buses to gain a good mix in every school.

The good news is that when we are able to provide a racial mix in the grades the students gain a better, broader education and will be more productive in the world of work.  Also good news:  we have first rank educators who can make that happen.

I am hoping all of the Metro schools will join in planning for long range changes.  That is the real issue before the legislature.  Looks like we will have to force them to talk.

Forcefully

Lowen