After reading the segregation article I realized that I was not shocked or even taken aback by what I read. I knew and assumed that schools across the state are as segregated as where I come from. But what does that say about our system, if segregation is widely accepted, even expected?

In the higher grades I think that students share in the responsibility for being segregated. Students at this level have the ability to choose what courses they want to take, what pathway they want to take, what extra cirricular activies they want to participate in, and even what lunch table they want to eat at. I think it is natural for students to factor into their decision to include themselves in activies with others with similar interest to their own. This will lead to increased segregation. Is it better to give students less choices about their own education to have less segregation in the classroom?

I believe that the topic is a little more complicated than it may appear at first glance. While I do agree that there is some segregation occuring in our school systems, I also believe that some of the inbalances are occuring due to self-segregation. We all like to surround ourselves with others that have similar experiences and cultural backgrounds, which sometimes leads to the appearance of segregation. Students have many choices in high school that determine the classes they take and therefore the people they surround themselves with. This may come across as supporting segregation and by no means am I in favor of segregation; however, I do think that the issue is portrayed as simple when in reality it is much more complex.

I must say that my high school was not at all segregated. Blacks and whites were friends with each other, we all played sports together and we hung out even after sports were over. I'm from a small town, and while most people would think my school with only 500 people in it would be segreated, we weren't at all. I can't ever remember a fight b/w people b/c of a black/white issue. In fact, I remember going to another school and someone using the "N" word to a black guy and everyone, blacks and whites got pretty upset about it and had a "discussion" with the guy who said it. I just thought I'd throw out another viewpoint.

There is old expression that states, "Figures don't lie, but liars can figure". The articles about segregation are just that, figures taken to explain a point that may or may not be important. I feel that we must bring new students up to speed as quickly as possible. More ESL and time spent to help any child make sure they understand the basics are necessary. To say that because these students are not integrated into the school system to me is incorrect. We must help to get students to understand not conform. I believe that by the middle grades there should be less and less need for special classes. Let's not call a special needs student something they are not. Let's provide the best education possible for all students with the desire to have all students understand and perform in an environment that is supportive. If the teachers are not giving their best to all students, then the changes need to start here.

My high school was not segregated at all. The proportion between blacks and whites within the school was about the same. We never had any problems within the school between races. The segregation between the schools was a different story. I could see a big difference between my high school and one other high school in my county. The segregation in the school had to do with the residential segregation. I found it hard to believe that residential segregation had little to do with the segregation between the schools.

My high school was not segregated at all that I knew of. A lot of my friends were black and they were very nice to hang around with. There are some that wanted nothing to do with anybody, blacks and whites both, but not because of race issues or anything like that. I believe that there might have been a little more blacks in my school, well in my county, so it was nothing uncommon to be around. I think that segregation is not necessarily a decision that the child makes on their own, it comes from what they hear at home and around their community. If they see everyone getting along then they are more likely to blend in with anyone because they view them as an equal.

Segregation was evident in my high school. However teh segregation went beyond race and into social class, areas of town, and interests. The segregation was by choice sometimes while other times it was out of a persons control. I come from a small county, but my high school was the only one of the county and thus everyone from every level of SES, race, and family life all came together. The opportunity to rise above the segregation was there, but often it was the harder road and often untraveled by many.

Linda Brock

My high school was small, about 400 students total, but we had a very diverse group of students. There was definitely evidence of grouping when I first started as a freshman. But as you take classes together, eat together, work together on extracurricular projects you find common interests, traditions, problems, etc. that connects you to the people around you. In such a close environment it was hard not to get to know people and de-segregate ourselves. By the time I graduated everyone in my graduating class knew each other well and we did not let any diversities come between us.
I think segregation happens because people feel more comfortable being around people that are similar to them and who enjoy similar things. Groups form because with larger amounts of people, you can't expect to know everyone. But I think if we, especially as teachers, go out of our way to help the students participate with each other in diverse groups in different situations that helps them learn about each other, and not just track or group people apart from each other. I think it would be a much better learning environment.

I had the priviledge of living in two very different places. I was born and raised in East Amherst a suburb outside of Buffalo N.Y. The schools I went to were not ethnically diverse, but everyone knew everybody else. Some groups definately segregated others. The positive to the school system is that there was a great special eduaction department in all the schools. Especially my high school. I shared many classes with special ed students and created some wonderful friendships that lasted all of my education. It helped be become aware how all students learned differently. When I moved to Charlotte N.C. my senior year my school was very diverse. I personally did not make any friends of different ethnicities for my short year term, but everyone mixed. There was more of a sense of community and friendship between different races and backgrounds, a big melting pot.