The Political Geography of Inter-District Integration

Abstract

In this article we draw upon case studies of interdistrict integration programs in Omaha, Nebraska, and the Tinsley program in the region south of San Francisco to examine how race and space intersect to influence implementation of these programs. We discuss the origins of these programs, the challenges in implementing them, and the ongoing political tensions that have surrounded them. Our case studies of the two metro areas involved interviews with stakeholders, as well as document and secondary data analysis, and geospatial mapping. Based on our analyses, we conclude that civic capacity must be mobilized so that broad, regional, cross-sector policies can be adopted in the pursuit of educational equity.

Notes

1 For more details see Finnigan et al., 2015; Finnigan, Holme, & Sanchez, 2016; Holme, Finnigan, & Diem, 2016.

2 Redwood City was removed from the requirements of the settlement in 1994 because it had greater than 60% nonwhite students.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kara S. Finnigan

Kara Finnigan, a professor at the University of Rochester's Warner School of Education, focuses on educational policy implementation, racial equity, and urban education. Finnigan has written extensively on low-performing schools and high-stakes accountability, district reform, principal leadership, and school choice. Her research blends perspectives in education, sociology, and political science and employs qualitative and quantitative methods. She currently focuses on interdistrict desegregation policies and regional equity; the role of social networks in the diffusion of research evidence at the school and district level; and community engagement and advocacy around educational change. Finnigan began her work in education as a substitute teacher in Anchorage, Alaska. She received her Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, her M.A. in Administration and Policy Analysis from Stanford University, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Jennifer Jellison Holme

Jennifer Jellison Holme is an associate professor of education policy in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research agenda focuses on the politics and implementation of educational policy, with a focus on the relationship between school reform, equity, and diversity in schools. Her work is particularly centered on the ways in which patterns of racial and ethnic stratification interact with educational policies to shape opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for students. She has researched and published on school desegregation, school choice, high-stakes testing, and teacher turnover. Holme earned her B.A. in Sociology from UCLA her Ed.M. in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her Ph.D. in Education Policy from UCLA. Holme also worked as a third-grade teacher in Los Angeles.