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This piece by on a school segregation court case for Newark by @patrick_wall is incredibly thorough and does a great job laying out the dimensions of the debate around urban charters & segregation.
Still, there's one thing missing: socioeconomic sorting. Let me explain in a
1/8 https://twitter.com/CattCarrera/status/1390304984361734144
Still, there's one thing missing: socioeconomic sorting. Let me explain in a
1/8 https://twitter.com/CattCarrera/status/1390304984361734144
The article rightly covers multiple dimensions of stratification between charter and public schools in Newark: race/ethnicity, ELL, special education. But a notable omission is *socioeconomic status*. Do Newark's charters or public schools serve a higher-poverty population? 2/8
A reason for this omission might be that Newark is understood to be a racially AND socioeconomically isolated city, with a high concentration of poverty and nearly all students being identified as eligible for free/reduced-price lunch (FRPL) 3/8
Indeed, Newark has a large share of low-income students based on FRPL, and has similar FRPL rates in charter and public schools on average. (CCD data via @urbaninstitute)
So, no socioeconomic sorting, right? Well, there's a problem with using FRPL to analyze this... 4/8
So, no socioeconomic sorting, right? Well, there's a problem with using FRPL to analyze this... 4/8
Among other problems, FRPL is a binary indicator. It ignores *levels* of poverty, and other dimensions of socioeconomic status that may differ between low-income families.
In Newark, there is indeed variation among low-income Black and Hispanic families (ACS data via @ipums) 5/8
In Newark, there is indeed variation among low-income Black and Hispanic families (ACS data via @ipums) 5/8
This is one way students in high-poverty & racially segregated cities with high levels of school choice may be stratified. Without better socioeconomic data for in for students by school type, we can't know for sure. But there is suggestive evidence: https://twitter.com/jeremylsinger/status/1348639663439941634?s=20 6/8
This kind of within-district socioeconomic stratification can seem trivial relative to the segregation we see between district, as with racial segregation. (ACS data)
But if it's happening then it would mean some Newark schools are serving a relatively advantaged population. 7/8
But if it's happening then it would mean some Newark schools are serving a relatively advantaged population. 7/8
I would love to hear thoughts from @patrick_wall, some school or community leaders in Newark, or some of the excellent scholars cited in this article! @TomasEMonarrez @jerseyjazzman 8/8
