| On the last day of the 2006-2007 Supreme Court, | | | | at some point in the future the Chicago Schools may |
| Chief Justice John Roberts announced a decision that | | | | ask to have the decree dissolved but states "'the |
| will inevitably stir up diversity issues within schools | | | | question is when". Rock also said that the Supreme |
| across the nation, and the Chicago Schools. It will | | | | Court ruling only affects how the Chicago Schools run |
| most certainly change the way most school systems, | | | | their programs after the decree is dissolved. That |
| including those within the Chicago Schools, run their | | | | may not be until the fall of 2008. This is when the |
| magnet programs. And it will affect how they decide | | | | application process will begin for the 2009 school |
| which students to steer towards, and to accept into, | | | | year. In the meantime Chicago Schools' magnets will |
| each program. | | | | continue to use the same criteria for admittance into |
| The decision decried racial balancing in schools where | | | | the programs. |
| race is used for magnet programs. Many of the | | | | Administrators say that Chicago Schools use race as |
| magnets within the Chicago Schools use race as a | | | | a determining factor to keep schools racially diverse. |
| factor in accepting students into their programs. | | | | Not as a means to segregation. The Supreme Court |
| There is one group of magnets in the Chicago | | | | ruling does not disallow the Chicago Schools from |
| Schools that selects students based completely on | | | | using race. It simply states that a valid and compelling |
| racially weighted lotteries. The students' applications | | | | reason must be given for doing so. In the Chicago |
| are sorted according to race, and then drawn in | | | | Schools these reasons often include ensuring racial |
| lotteries. This is meant to achieve racial diversity. | | | | diversity in the many areas where it doesn't exist. |
| Acceptance into other magnet programs is based on | | | | Rock doesn't feel that the Chicago Schools will |
| grades, test scores, academic achievement, and | | | | eliminate magnet programs in order to avoid litigation, |
| extracurricular involvement. Race is used as a minimal | | | | however, there are those on the Supreme Court |
| determining factor. | | | | who feel that many school systems nationwide may |
| Some administrators in the Chicago Schools fear that | | | | begin to dissolve their magnet programs to avoid |
| this threatens the legacy of Brown v. Board of | | | | litigation and its ensuing costs. The Chicago Schools |
| Education; the decision in which segregation based on | | | | may choose to use race as a way to determine |
| color was denounced. | | | | where to build schools to ensure this diversity, how |
| Patrick Rock, the attorney for Chicago Schools, | | | | to fund schools in certain areas, and which programs |
| stated that the decision will only affect Chicago | | | | to steer students towards- based more on their |
| Schools if and when a federal justice agrees to | | | | talents and achievements and not solely to fill a |
| release them from a desegregation consent decree | | | | certain percentage of racial mix. |
| which dates all the way back to 1980. He stated that | | | | |