One of the most hotly contested issues in education during the past-half century is affirmative action, also known as race-based admissions policies. Supporters defend the practice as one designed to take “affirmative” steps to eliminate the present effects of past discrimination. Critics respond that these policies do not address how granting preferences today remedies past harms, especially because individuals who are passed over when affirmative action is applied played no role in creating past inequities.
Insofar as debate over affirmative action has heated up yet again, this column briefly examines the history of Fisher v. University of Texas II (2016) wherein the Supreme Court upheld the University of Texas’s reliance on race in admissions. Then, the column focuses on the impact affirmative action can have on K–12 schools, reflecting on the meaning of Fisher II for school business officials, their boards, and other educational leaders.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/charles_russo/57/
This document has been made available for download by permission of the publisher.
This article originally appeared in the October 2016 School Business Affairs magazine and is reprinted with permission of the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). The text herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of ASBO International, and use of this imprint does not imply any endorsement or recognition by ASBO International and its officers or affiliates. Any additional re-purposing or reprint of this article in this or any other medium is restricted without prior written consent.
Permission documentation is on file.