Unless school boards can find a way to maintain school diversity in light of recent court rulings, some educators fear the nation will face additional challenges to improving public schools. One of the most vocal proponents of this view is Harvard University professor Gary Orfield.
Evidence suggests the process of resegregation already is under way.
A study by Orfield found, for example, that the percentage of black students in white-majority schools in the South dropped from 43.5 percent in 1988 to 34.7 percent in 1996. Other regions showed a smaller but similar trend. Numerous social and economic factors are responsible for this trend, but Orfield expresses concern that a judiciary hostile to race-conscious policies can only accelerate matters. We'll be a more segregated society, with much deeper lines between races and classes. It will create incredibly uneven schools, which will create a tremendous demand for alternatives . . . such as vouchers.