In addition to pursuing his hobbies and various other activities, New York businessman Jonah Engler supports charitable causes when not dispatching his professional obligations. Toward that end, Jonah Engler Silberman has donated to the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), a New York-based labor union.
The UFT regularly updates its website with the latest news in education, including the finding that integrated schools around New York City can serve as models for those that remain segregated.
With over 1,800 schools in New York City, most of which are not integrated, the state has grappled with segregation for decades. However, a recent study of 80 of the city’s schools found that those that had been integrated share common strategies and goals that could be applied more broadly. Such findings could lessen, if not eliminate altogether, segregation in schools.
An integrated school is defined as an educational institution that mixes students from different religious and social backgrounds. The study suggests mimicking the format of such an institution by relying on several approaches, including the following:
- Replace principals and other administrative personnel to promote diversity.
- Alter the curriculum to promote integration by adding advanced dual-language classes, as well as programs for gifted and talented students.
- Involve parents, particularly those representing various minority populations. The school can implore them to advocate for integration, thereby establishing a precedent for other parents.
- Consider leasing or relocating to a new building, as a new environment can renew students’ drive to learn.
- In the case of prosperous institutions, accept students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
A crucial step in solving mass education inequality, integration is one of the most inexpensive and effective ways to improve academic performance, particularly for those from economically challenged areas or various minority populations.
