School Choice without equity is cover for inequality in our public schools

 Dr. Robert Cotto from Trinity College talking "School Choice" with Dr. Jesse P. Turner Literacy Professor Emeritus, and Readman: Truth to Power Hour host on 103.5 FM New Haven on Friday 6/6/25. 



Dr. Cotto and I see school choice as smoke and mirrors for the status quo of inequality in Connecticut, and around the nation. It gives cover to legislative leaders for inequality in our schools, leads to massive declines in local public school populations, and takes away funding from community public school schools. School choice has not desegregated our schools, they have actually increased racial isolation for Black and Brown children. 

If you like a quick look at the desegregation failure of School Choice programs? Here is a link to UCONN Today link https://today.uconn.edu/2022/06/understanding-segregation-and-school-choice/# 

Come listen to our discussion on School Choice today on the air, link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO7GAi3AAzQ  Be informed. 



If you like to listen to the song that inspired me today, its Joe Bataan "Poor Boy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIB2av7TvN4&list=PLJLAdjFrCeXq_MwhyveDIJPyfyv7D69Nn&index=4

The new Attack on Public Schools in Communities of color

 

Just saying if they really cared

"More than 50 years of research across more than 60 studies show that students with access to well-resourced school libraries with certified librarians consistently perform better academically and score higher on standardized assessments.2 While underserved students see even bigger gains from robust library services, they are less likely to have access to these resources. Meanwhile, information literacy is becoming increasingly important in an age of misinformation and disinformation. Yet since 2000, there has been a nearly 20 percent drop in school librarian positions, which translates to 10,000 fewer full-time school librarians across the country.3 While more than 90 percent of schools in the United States have school libraries, only about 60 percent have full-time librarians, according to a 2019 report from the American Library Association (ALA). Read on to see the trend of closing school libraries and the damage being done. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/investing-in-school-libraries-and-librarians-to-improve-literacy-outcomes/

Moving beyond the endless same old same old, the test scores are falling 

Rather than talking about the low scores of Black children, we should talking about the decline in funding for school libraries in Black and Brown communities. One of the most harmful trends in America’s public schools in poor communities of color is cutting librarians and media specialist in these schools. Not to mention the total defunding of libraries in poor communities.

If your aim is to ban books, nothing bands truth like closing libraries.

Trust me Connecticut is not immune from this trend.

So, before you start talking low scores, let talk underfunding the very places that provide access to large selections of book to Black and Brown families.

Expect a 103.5 FM New Haven Readman: Truth to Power show in August on this issue.

6 decades of research point to the libraries and access to books as one of the best ways to improve test scores.

Tell it on every street corner,

whisper it in every alley,

Shout it at every school board meeting,

Tell it on every mountain,

Leadership that defunds and closes school libraries in poor communities does not care about all children.

I will be silent,

Dr. Jesse P. Turner

Professor Emeritus of Literacy, Elementary, and Early Childhood,

Host of The 103.5 FM New Haven Readman: Truth to Power Hour



The song the inspired my morning walk today is Public Enemy "Don't Believe the Hype" https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=jfxvYcen4KI