Education

Commentary on the Court

July 02, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

As school districts try to interpret last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision on school desegregation, editorial pages across the country have offered the following opinions:

The two major newspapers covering the districts in the case were split. The Seattle Times agreed with the decision; Kentucky’s Lexington Herald-Leader said it was “supreme nonsense.”

Elsewhere, the San Fransisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Raleigh’s News & Observer minced no words in their opposition to the 5-4 decision. The Sacramento Bee and the St. Petersburg Times both called it a step backwards, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch found the majority opinion “sadly dogmatic.”

On the other side, Denver’s Rocky Mountain News called the decision “on the money” and The San Diego Union-Tribune characterized it as a “ruling that squares with the 14th Amendment, court precedent, and common sense.”

Kennedy’s opinion opens the door for more legal action, The Plain Dealer says. Until then, The Oregonian tells districts to “look for new ways to fight inequality.”

“Not as bad as it could have been,” said The Des Moines Register, while also offering advice to districts in the state with desegregation plans.

Columnists offered their own take. The Washington Post‘s Eugene Robinson compared the majority justices to George Wallace; Seattle’s Danny Westneat found himself agreeing with Clarence Thomas; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s Jim Wooten thinks vouchers would help integrate schools; and St. Petersburg’s Thomas C. Tobin wrote about racial integration among teachers.

A version of this news article first appeared in the Around the Web blog.

Events

Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.
Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: June 11, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
5 min read
Education Quiz What Is the #1 Factor Boosting Students' STEM Motivation? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 4, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz Why Did A Court Dismiss the Lawsuit Against Lucy Calkins? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read