Unveiling the Color Line—Investigating the Formation and Segregation of St. Louis School…

Catalog description

This course explores the historical forces and policy actions that led to educational segregation and inequality across the St. Louis region and envisions a better future. Segregation and inequality are by design and thus are not inevitable—St. Louis could be redesigned for equity. Students will examine disparities in per-pupil funding, teacher experience, and higher-level course offerings across school districts with different student demographics. Assigned readings and in-class discussions will focus on how these disparities came to be. Student multidisciplinary teams will investigate how one segregating school district boundary line was drawn and will develop and defend a history and policy-informed approach to addressing segregation and inequality in St. Louis, drawing upon course content and their own disciplinary training and personal experiences. In-class workshops will focus on developing the skills needed to access and analyze education data, map inequalities, and conduct archival research. Fulfills the Core Collaborative Inquiry requirement.