The Color of School Closures, includes what has happened in Houston, Texas schools, from 2000 to 2012, there have been over fifty schools closed or re-purposed. One of the manufactured policies that was attack the black community is CT2. Also there has not been any sustained or broad base call to action, call for a blue ribbon task force on education, to stop the loss of school in the black community from any elected official of any ethnicity. cxw
There is no evidence to suggest that school closures work. Despite what policymakers say to justify these mass closures, reports have shown that the majority of student who are affected do not get placed in high performing schools. And though closures are often touted as a way for districts to save money in tough economic times, those savings often fail to materialize and can in reality cost taxpayers millions in hidden costs.
What is the alternative to closing schools? Evidence-based policies that provide students, schools and communities with the opportunities and resources they need to succeed, including:
- Wraparound academic, health and social services to help struggling students get back on track
- Recruiting, training and retaining high-quality teachers in every classroom
- Equitable school funding systems so that those who face the toughest hurdles receive the greatest resources
- Universal high-quality pre-K so that all students start school ready to learn
- Expanded learning time, including after-school and summer programming
- Turning schools into community hubs that provide expanded services to both students and community members
For more information, check out this report from Communities for Excellent Public Schools, “A Proposal for Sustainable School Transformation.”
