CRP-MALDEF MANUAL TO HELP LEGALLY PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND AVOID

**NEWS RELEASE**

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2008

CONTACT: Gary Orfield (310) 267-5562 or Cynthia Valenzuela (213) 629-2512

CRP-MALDEF MANUAL TO HELP LEGALLY PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND AVOID
INCREASING SEGREGATION OF LATINO STUDENTS IN OUR NATION?S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and
the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles (CRP/PDC) announce
the release of Preserving Integration Options for Latino Children: A
Manual for Educators, Civil Rights Leaders, and the Community. Both
groups plan to help educators and communities find ways to preserve
integration options consistent with the limitations imposed by the
Supreme Court in last June's decision in the cases from Louisville and
Seattle. The Manual outlines the history of segregation and racial
isolation that Latinos have experienced, the legal struggles they have
waged, and the consequences for children and communities. Its goal is
to provide valuable guidance about how school districts and
communities can promote racial diversity and protect educational
opportunities for Latino children in schools nationwide. This
resource is being issued on the heels of the Supreme Court's June 2007
decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School
District No. 1(PICS), which limited the ability of school districts to
take race into account in providing options for integrated education.

The Manual addresses the practical questions of what educators, civil
rights leaders, and communities can now do to promote diversity and
address the harms of racial isolation in their schools. The guide
includes:

• The history of educational discrimination in the Latino Community;
• The educational consequences of segregation and racial isolation for Latinos;
• The main issues involved in the Supreme Court's Parents Involved decision;
• How the Supreme Court?s ruling affects schools nationwide, and
• Viable options for promoting diversity and avoiding racial isolation
in K-12 students assignment plans after the Seattle/Louisville cases.

This is a critical time for communities and school districts seeking
to move forward after the Parents Involved decision. The Manual
recommends that communities now under court orders remain under them
until there has been complete and successful compliance with the court
order. School districts under court order to desegregate are not
affected by the PICS decision. For communities not under court
orders, it outlines both what is still clearly authorized and what is
clearly forbidden in terms of race-conscious policy. It also points
out that communities have clear rights to use any factor other than
race or ethnicity in assigning schools, and that some factors, such as
language, could offer substantial benefits. The Manual proposes that
communities consider ways to not only review the options in light of
local conditions but also to think about plausible opportunities using
other criteria. An example cited in the Manual is the dual-immersion
language program that provides both English- and Spanish-speaking
students a fluent knowledge of two languages in integrated classes,
rendering a powerful educational program that incorporates both
diversity and clear educational advantages for all children.

The Manual provides accurate and up-to-date information along with a
step-by-step guide for how schools can strengthen diversity and expand
opportunity for schoolchildren. It was produced with generous support
from the Open Society Institute.

To download the Manual or for additional information, please visit the
CRP/PDF website at www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu or email
crp@ucla.edu.

MALDEF attorneys are available to consult with school
authorities, community members and parents.
Call (213) 629-2512 or visit www.maldef.org.