EQUAL OPPORTUNITY in kansas city

Sara and I wanted to somehow promote the idea of equal opportunity so that people would have the freedom to choose, not being limited by their environment they were born into. As this is a very large topic to tackle, we had to narrow it down to the core fundamental reasons for inequity.

THE WALL of income & race

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

TROOST ‘THE WALL’After Scott talked about the drastic divide along Troost, in income and race, we wanted to delve into the core issues of why this happened and something that would guide the city into the right direction of diversity.

EDUCATION over the years

After researching about the main causes of divide, it boiled down to education and the home environment. Racial segregation in housing and schools have been defining features of the KC Metro area for over a century. Since the Kansas City Missouri School District was created in 1867, there were separate facilities for blacks and whites. By 1940, 88% of minorities had to change their place of residence in KC to live in an integrated neighborhood.

SEGREGATIONsuburbanization

inner city disinvestment

school segregation

Today Kansas City continues to be one of the most segregated metropolitan areas in the nation.

Things that reinforce this:suburbanization, inner city disinvestment and school segregation

WIDENING RACIAL GAPS“The whole workforce must be well-educated and engaged if you want this area to succeed.”

On an economic level, Kansas City’s economic future is at risk due to widening racial gaps in income, health and work opportunities. Only through improving the city’s equity profile can this trend improve. Improving the economic lot of the area’s racial minorities is essential because the population of minorities is increasing. By 2040, 42% of the area is likely to be composed of minorities. In 2010, the white population only grew 5%. "The whole workforce must be well-educated and engaged if you want this area to succeed."

SOCIOECONOMIC INTEGRATION

The answer: socioeconomic integration - its a way for low-income students to tap into the academic benefits of high-achieving peers and high-quality teachers.

DISCRIMINATIONis government-sponsored

BUT historical ignorance is one of the obstacles of integrating schools. We’ve persuaded ourselves that residential isolation of low-income black children occurs in practice but is not government-ordained. it is actually a result of racially motivated law, public policy, and government-sponsored discrimination.

CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

Integrating disadvantaged black students into schools where more-privileged students predominate can narrow the black-white achievement gap. School integration, both racial and socioeconomic, can complement improvements in students' early childhood care, health, housing, economic security, and informal learning opportunities. Segregated schools with primarily poorly performing students can rarely be turned around - “the tipping point” of no return

CONCENTRATED POVERTY

In areas of concentrated poverty, even though the schools were well-developed and had good teacher-principal collaboration, this made no difference in these neighborhoods. (all students were residentially mobile, black, and had low-income parents with little education). attendance at high-poverty schools causes disadvantaged students’ performance to decline

BENEFITS OF INTEGRATION

benefits of integration: the behavioral outcomes-improved graduation rates, higher rates of employment, higher earnings in adulthood, avoidance of teen childbearing, delinquency, homicide and incarceration. white students’ outcomes were unaffected poor students in mixed-income schools do better than poor students in high-poverty schools.Low-income students’ performance rises, all students receive the benefits

THE SOLUTION

Education can help shift break up concentrations of poverty and provide more diverse learning environments for all students

ACADEMIE LAFAYETTEa charter school

Academie Lafayette: a starting point in Kansas City a charter school - full French immersion same funding as public schools - not private, no tuition operated by teachers, parents and community groups anyone can attend a charter school - limited by space charter schools are able to & held accountable for the achievement started 15 years ago with a 60:40 minority ratio parents in the district got together and formed this charter school together but now the numbers have flipped

MICHAEL ZELLERboard member of AL

INTERVIEWSMichael Zeller - Board Member of Academie Lafayette issue of Trust syndromes rebranding example of CEE - a program in Detroit which closes

DARRON STORYAL Expansion Parents Promoting Diversity

Darron Story - Parents Promoting Diversity middle-class black who still lives on the east of Troost different perspective - rich, not as ignorant AL: most kids don’t know about the opportunity (neighborhoods aren’t as connected) vs. people in Brookside, people are always talking to each other - spreading the word about AL people on the east side of troost also see a different narrative of AL (as a privileged school) well-known in the white community, but not in the black community working on expanding to an AL high school to be on the east side of Troost parents promoting diversity: 30-40 parents involved, only meet when necessary darron saw the problem of how AL’s minority numbers have flipped purpose was to spread awareness about AL and get people to apply

MELVIN MERRITTPenny Mill

Melvin Merritt: Penny Mill “make people understand that we’re human” has a different approach - more about encouragement, bringing communities together purpose is to instill ethnicity

PROBLEM STATEMENTHow can we aid the Communications Subcommittee in the group Academie Lafayette Expansion in order to improve the perception of Academie Lafayette in Kansas City, especially on the east side of Troost?

PROBLEM STATEMENTHow can we aid the Communications Subcommittee in the group Academie Lafayette Expansion in order to improve the perception of Academie Lafayette in Kansas City, especially on the east of Troost?

AUDIENCElow-income, minority parents and their children

Audience: Ultimately, low-income, minority parents and their children in Kansas CityWho are you trying to reach?: Potential parents of children who can enroll in Academic LafayetteNeeds: A higher form of education that’s fully integrated racially and economically They need a trustworthy way of learning about Academie Lafayette

Current level of understanding: People on the east side of Troost either do not know about the charter school, or have a negative perception of Academie Lafayette as a “privileged school” Best way to reach them: Have to hear information from someone they can relate to/was in their own situation. Organizations that already has access to these people Parents at Academie Lafayette in Parents Promoting Diversity

IMMERSIONNiles Children Home Boys & Girls Club Penny Mill Foundation Community Meetings

IMMERSIONHow do you plan to immerse yourself: Niles Children Home Center, Boys & Girls Club, sitting in on community meetings (Academie Lafayette Expansion), Penny Mill FoundationCommunity Leaders: Darron Story, Melvin MerrittWhere are you volunteering: Boys&Girls Club

STRATEGYA PR spokesperson increasing visibility public community events

STRATEGYAudience’s Current Position: If they do know about Academie Lafayette, they have a negative perception of it. But most do not know about the opportunity to enroll. What will nudge or change this: Increasing the visibility of Academie Lafayette and improving their rap with the east side of TroostWhat would change if your project was successful: The percentage of minority and reduced-lunch students to be more integrated into Academie LafayetteCore problem: Unequal opportunitiesResources: A PR representative, funding, a platform for communication

Resources available: the existing organization, the school and its fundingWhat avenues to get the resources?:

GOALfor those on the east of Trost to know about AL and enroll their children

GOALmost impactful information: knowing that someone in their own community already goes to AL, knowing the benefits of integration, sources to find this info:

QUESTIONS?