Workshop on “Fighting for Equitable Admissions Policies in a Diverse, Yet Segregated School District in Manhattan”
PARCEO’s Katheryne Jackson and Donna Nevel facilitated a workshop in November at the “One Nation Indivisible” conference in Hartford, Connecticut.
They opened the workshop with a brief discussion of the value of research that grows out of the community. They spoke about Participatory Action Research (PAR) and why it’s so meaningful for organizing for educational justice and how it ensures that those most impacted by the injustices of the system are in the forefront of the organizing and of what emerges.
Katheryne, a recent college graduate who is part of the PARCEO team, spoke about the work that a group of students had initiated at her high school in Manhattan to fight for a more equitable admissions policy. She described how the diverse group they created reflected the kind of school community they hoped for. Donna spoke about the work of the Parent Leadership Project and larger community in District 3– a diverse yet highly segregated district in Manhattan–for equity and access.
Workshop participants, who came from NYC and beyond, were interested in learning more about how D3 was thinking about achieving equitable admissions policies. The presenters spoke about how a wide range of community members–parents, educators, community leaders, activists, and others–have come together this past year to explore and develop a proposal for how a community controlled choice policy can help end segregation and inequality in D3. Michael Alves joined the workshop and was able to speak about controlled choice and how it is designed to create equitable and fair admissions policies that well-serve all students. It was a lively and meaningful discussion, and PARCEO connected with some good people working on similar issues.
Katheryne Jackson, part of the PARCEO team.