Monroe schools look at equal course offerings

As part of the consent decree to end a 50-year-old desegregation case against Monroe City Schools, administrators are looking at ways to ensure all students get the same opportunities to take courses.

The district has two elements to work on before earning unitary status — the racial make-up of principals and teachers and equal course offerings.

The district is working with the Equity Assistance Center for the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) regarding equal enrollment, regardless of race or school, in gifted, honors, pre-AP and AP courses at all schools.

On Thursday night, the district offered a meeting for students and parents to discuss the district catalog.

Parents or guardians of current students attending Monroe City Schools also can take an online survey regarding course and program access. Take the survey at http://svy.mk/1YxAG0B.

Equal offerings

The district must offer the same courses to all students at the same grade level, with the exception of courses offered in the magnet program at J.S. Clark Magnet Elementary and Carroll High School’s medical magnet program.

The course catalog for the appropriate grade level will be made available to all students and their families.

Section VI.B.4 of the proposal states: "If a course (other than a magnet program course) is ultimately not taught at a given school, students at that school who wish to take that course shall be given the opportunity to take the class at another school in the district."

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The district must provide transportation to the other school, if requested.

The district also must work to remove racial disparities in enrollment in specialized academic programs, such as AP, and work to make the Carroll medical magnet program more comprehensive and attractive to white students.

Follow Bonnie Bolden on Twitter @Bonnie_Bolden_ and on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/1RtsEEP.