MCSB votes to send deseg proposal to judge

In a special meeting Monday, the Monroe City School Board voted to send a proposal to federal Judge Robert G. James and the Department of Justice regarding its consent decree.

While board members and Superintendent Brent Vidrine cannot discuss what was said during the hourlong executive session that comprised most of the meeting Monday, the contents of the 41-page proposal to end a 50-year desegregation case can be read by the public.

Board attorney Doug Lawrence said the information should not be considered the final say on the consent decree until accepted by the federal judge. No time frame was provided on when James would rule on the proposal.

Earlier this year, the board went to court to update the federal judge on the order. In October, Vidrine said the order, filed in 1965, started with six elements for the district to correct; two of those were fixed years ago. This year, the district was declared unified in the areas of student assignment and transportation. This left the district with only two elements to work on before earning unitary status — the racial make-up of principals and teachers and ensuring all students get the same course opportunities.

Board President Rodney McFarland, Vidrine, Vice President Brenda Shelling and attorney Doug Lawrence went to Washington on Wednesday and returned Thursday after negotiating with Department of Justice representatives for about three hours, McFarland said last week.

McFarland said the judge wants the matter resolved as soon as possible, and, while the proposal was written by the Department of Justice, it's possible that James would want to see results sooner that outlined in the plan.

Section VI (Pages 13-30) of the proposal outlines remedial measures the district must take.

The board passed it 6-1. Board member Bill Willson voted against after verifying that it would be accepted as presented and written without alteration.

Faculty diversity

According to the proposal, teacher and principal assignments will be made so that at no point will the ratio of black or white staff members "indicate that a school is intended for black students or white students" and facutly at all schools will be equally qualified, regardless of the students' race.

In October, Vidrine said staffing changes will happen through attrition and actively recruiting minority teachers.

The proposal, however, gives a few options of how the district can work to achieve unitary status. The district must review the racial make-up and credentials of all faculty by Feb. 29.

Measures to bring staffing into alignment, according to the proposal, may include: "providing professional development to current teachers; providing mentors to teachers and/or pairing teachers; and interim measures, if necessary, to build up its faculty’s credentials."

Additionally, voluntary and mandatory personnel moves are possible but would not take place until the current school year has ended.

Section VI.A.2.ii.2 of the proposal states:

"The district may bring itself into compliance with Section VI.A.1 by hiring new teachers and/or through procedures governing assignment (which may include procedures for assigning teachers to multiple schools), provisions providing for the mandatory reassignment of classroom teachers, and/or incentive plans designed to persuade teachers to volunteer for reassignment as necessary, provided that any combination of those plans be fully implemented by the start of the 2016-17 school year."

If the district chooses to use an incentive plan to ask teachers and principals to change schools, the plan must be filed by Feb. 1, and the court would comment on it by March 1. The plan would be in play by April 1, and statements of intent from faculty would have to be made by May 1.

Should the district opt to reassign principals and teachers, other than via the incentive plan, the district must submit the plan by May 15.

The final list of changes would be due by June 1.

Board member Jennifer Haneline said nothing crazy is going to happen, and the move is meant to ensure everyone, regardless of race, is afforded the same opportunities.

Equitable course 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.

"Current technology gives us the opportunity to make available to all students classes that have not been available in the past due to low participation," board member Vickie Dayton said.  "And, we must develop innovative ways to communicate to the parents the opportunities for their child."

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."

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.

Other action

The board unanimously voted to end a contract with William Gordon, a consultant hired to advise the board on the consent decree.