Social science research suggests a clear negative correlation between concentrated poverty and low student achievement (American Psychological Association, 2014), as well as a positive relationship between integrated schools and student achievement; “students’ exposure to other students who are different from themselves leads to improved cognitive skills, including critical thinking and problem solving” (Wells, Fox, Cordova-Cobo,2016). Nonetheless, the structure of Long Island’s schools is not optimum for achieving these benefits. In fact, the Nassau and Suffolk County schools are the most racially segregated schools in the United States.

The work that needs to be done is clear. Strategies aimed at providing all students on Long Island with a quality education must include reorganization within diverse school districts so that schools and classrooms are racially integrated and all students have access to vigorous courses of study, highly qualified faculty, and the equitable allocation of resources. This is the goal of the Education Equity Initiative.

The integration of school districts – either voluntarily or by mandate—is a daunting process. ERASE Racism’s Education Equity Initiative will move us closer to this goal through the implementation of campaigns that focus on and demonstrate the benefits of racially integrated learning environments utilizing several strategies, including:

• Grow the Education Equity Working Group and sub-committees to contribute to the design and implementation of the Initiative.
• Bring attention to local, state and federal policies and practices that (1) impede equitable access to rigorous courses of study, such as the practice of tracking resulting in de facto segregation. According to the 1976 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report, tracking was found to be “the most common cause of classroom segregation”, (2) discourage racial and economic integration; and advocate for changes supporting integration.
• Provide forums for strategic dialogue and the sharing of best practices between key stakeholders and district decision makers to encourage the replication of effective strategies and encourage collaboration across districts.
• Help students share their voices in support of racial integration, facilitate dialogue between racially diverse student populations and cultivate student leaders.
• Promote the recruitment, hiring and retention teachers of color.