The Chicago Board of Education yesterday approved a new admissions policy for the city's top schools, despite concerns from some critics that the move will make those campuses less diverse.
The new policy, which was changed slightly in recent weeks after heavy criticism, bases admission decisions for the city's magnet and selective enrollment schools on socioeconomic factors instead of race.
The policy was met with passionate criticism at yesterday's school board meeting.
Phillip Jackson, executive director of the Black Star Project, led dozens of supporters into the board room chanting, "Educate or die! Educate or die! Educate or die!"
"Today, CPS will step into history one way or an other. The civil rights of black children are on trial today," Jackson said. "This policy will put you on the wrong side of history."
The new policy prioritizes siblings of current students in the schools, as well as those who live near the schools. Opponents of the plan worry that the new policy will favor white students, and force minorities into neighborhood schools with less distinguished academic programs, Jackson says.
"You want our children to attend the worst schools in our city. You are not giving our children choices. You are giving them sentences," Jackson says.
Huberman said that school officials will measure the makeup of the schools once the new policy shakes out and adjust the policy if necessary.
Despite accusations that the new policy will further segregate schools, the intent is to keep and improve the socioeconomic and diversity of the student body, Huberman said.
"We are fully committed to that," Huberman said.
The policy was tweaked from the one proposed earlier this year. The policy will still give priority to all siblings of current students, but will now give 40 percent of the remaining magnet school spots to neighborhood students and the rest to a general group of applicants.
The initial policy had the split at 50-50 as opposed to 40-60, according to a news release.
The plan was quickly crafted after a federal judge changed rules for how public schools could create diversity in September. Although race can be used as a factor to enroll students in the city's selective schools, it can't be the only reason, says school board attorney Patrick Rocks.
The new policy also changed other areas of the admissions process.
For example, the way students ranked the nine selective enrollment high schools on their applications was a key part of enrollment decisions. Principals could reject a student who hadn't chosen their school first.
Now, the way students rank their preferred schools won't cause them to lose out on admission if they're otherwise qualified.
"It allows them to optimize their choice," Huberman said. "We believe it's more fair."