The Federal Constitution and Race-Based Admissions Policies in Public Charter Schools

The primary questions addressed in this dissertation are whether race-based admissions policies in charter schools are constitutionally permissible, and if not, how could an admissions policy be designed so that it would promote school diversity without violating the law? These questions are important because there are significant numbers of philosophers and scholars who hypothesize that student body diversity not only enhances educational outcomes but also is a necessary component of civic education in a liberal democracy. The researcher takes no particular stance on the benefits of educational diversity, focusing instead on the constitutional questions raised by the use of race-sensitive policies in the interest of diversity. The primary methodology used throughout is legal research, though the literature review includes references to political philosophers and social scientists as well as primary legal sources. Chapter I outlines the most frequent arguments made in favor of school diversity and suggests that the judicial philosophy expressed by the Supreme Court over the last twenty-five years has moved away from the philosophy expressed in Brown v. Board. In Chapter II, Supreme Court precedent on affirmative action policies is analyzed, focusing mainly on the decision of the divided Court in University of California Board of Regents v. Bakke. Chapter III provides a detailed analysis of how six different Federal Circuit Courts interpreted Bakke, highlighting numerous recurring judicial themes and concerns. In Chapter IV, existing charter school laws are examined state by state. Chapter V suggests several policy options for those interested in promoting a diverse charter school student body.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2002

Author dc:creator

• Black, Watt Lesley

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kemerer, Frank R.
• King, Kimi L.
• Ausbrooks, Carrie Y.

• Charter schools -- United States -- Admission.
• Charter schools -- Law and legislation -- United States.
• Discrimination in education -- United States.
• Supreme Court
• diversity
• admissions
• equal protection
• affirmative action

Statement dc:rights

• Public
• Copyright
• Black, Watt Lesley, Jr.
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 54788643
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3159/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc3159

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc3159