Making School Integration Work

Many American schools continue to struggle with segregation. This important book tells the story of how two school districts—one a predominantly White and wealthy suburban community and the other a more diverse and urbanized community—were merged into a single district to work toward a solution for school segregation. The authors focus on the Morris School District in New Jersey as an exemplar to demonstrate what is possible and how it can be accomplished. They document what makes a district like Morris successful and include lessons learned in each chapter. Along with analyzing the legal and educational policy implications of the nearly 50-year history of the merged district, the authors take a mixed methods approach to deepen our knowledge of effective leadership, community–school relations, and classroom practices in the context of a community committed to genuine integration.

Book Features:

• Offers a deep analysis of one of the few districts that is making progress toward true integration.
• Examines a local story that has wide applicability to those interested in social justice, enlightened leadership, and equitable educational opportunities for all students.
• Employs qualitative and quantitative research along with GIS mapping to study the legal, educational, political, historical, and sociological dimensions of the case study.
• Provides a series of lessons learned from the Morris School District that will assist those engaged in building equitable school systems.

Paul Tractenberg is professor emeritus at Rutgers Law School in Newark. Allison Roda and Ryan Coughlan are both assistant professors of education in Molloy College’s Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities Ed.D. program. Deirdre Dougherty is assistant professor of educational studies at Knox College.

“ Making School Integration Work is a study of the ‘Morris story,’ how one New Jersey public school district focused on integration and diversity by combining two communities into one ‘racially and socioeconomically diverse and unified K–12 district’ (p. 5). … The challenges faced by the district as it carried out ‘diversity work’ without an intentional focus on educational equity and access are illuminated. Ultimately, this is a story of superficially celebrating diversity in one district at the expense of actually providing equity of and access to quality education for the communities it serves.”

— Choice

“The authors do an especially good job examining the complexities within and between student populations, and it is satisfying to hear from so many students, parents, and teachers directly through extensive interviews and long quotes in the book…. The book makes its mark by amplifying these activist demands through rigorous scholarship, and it is clear the authors believe deeply not only in the equalizing function of school integration but also its essential civic purpose in a democracy.”

—History of Education Quarterly

“This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about educational equity in public schools. It tells the long-overdue story of a town in New Jersey that for decades has fought for integration in its high school. Through insightful interviews and painstaking research, it offers vital insights and lessons about the trapdoors and triumphs along the path to true integration. For those who want to understand the practical importance of culturally responsive leadership, building community trust, and promoting inclusion and equity to its fullest in a racially diverse public high school, this is the book for you.”
—Elise C. Boddie, Henry Rutgers Professor and Judge Robert L. Carter Scholar, Rutgers Law School

Contents (Tentative)

Acknowledgments vii

1. Introducing the Morris Story 1
A Note About Terminology 2
The Morris School District in New Jersey as an Important Case Study 5
The Merger Process and Its Aftermath 11
The Morris School District of Today—Almost 50 Years After Merger 12
MSD’s Current Level of Integration as Compared to the State and National Picture 16
Why a Book about the Morris School District? 20
Overview of the Book 22

2. Using Law and Litigation to Advance School Integration 25
Why Litigate to Achieve School Desegregation and Integration? 29
The Jenkins Decision 32
Analyzing Jenkins 40
The Impact of the Jenkins Decision 44
Lessons Learned 47

3. The Role of Educational Leadership 50
The Link Between Mackey Pendergrast and Steve Wiley 52
Culturally Responsive School Leadership 55
The Postmerger Period 58
Maintaining a Delicate Balance of Diversity: “I Had to Walk a Fine Line with How We Promoted the District” 70
Successes and Challenges of School Diversity 77
Lessons Learned 85

4. The Black Student Experience in MSD 90
Changing Demographics and the Substantial Loss of Black Students Over Time 97
Black Parents Who Leave 104
Black Parents Who Stay: “We’ve Got to Work Harder” to Advocate for Our Children 109
The District’s Response Then: “Good Intentions” but “It Never Felt Like Priority #1” 122
The District’s Response Now: Equity and Inclusion 124
Lessons Learned 127

5. The Latinx Student Experience in MSD 129
The Federal/State/Local Policy Landscape of Bilingual Education 130
Emergent Bilingual Students in MSD 136
Parental Involvement 143
Teachers and Support Staff 147
School Leaders 153
Lessons Learned 154

Conclusion: Moving from Desegregation to True Integration 156
What Have We Learned in MSD? 159
How Should MSD Apply What Was Learned?  163
How Can Other School Districts Apply the Lessons Learned from MSD? 164
Statutory and Constitutional Authority for Students to Cross Existing District Lines 170
Practical Recommendations 174
Conclusion 182

Appendix A: Statutory Provisions That Enable Students toReceive Education in Districts Other Than Their Districts of Residence 183

Appendix B: An Action Plan to Diversify New Jersey’s Schools 185

Notes 188

References 200

Index 207

About the Authors