Choice in the Name of Diversity: The Struggle to Desegregate San Francisco Schools

• In Event: Assessing School Choice Politics and Policy Through Historical, Sociological, and Philosophical Frameworks

Abstract

The paper assesses court-mandated desegregation in San Francisco from the 1980s to the 2000s. It argues that the school district’s student assignment policies—initially busing but eventually intradistrict choice—began as a remedy for state discrimination but transformed into a tool intended to create diversity. This transformation was facilitated by the legitimation of school choice, evolving social and legal landscapes, and local community advocacy.

Author

• Rand Quinn, University of Pennsylvania