American Government: Reading for a Deeper Understanding
ACLU and Community Legal Aid Society Challenge Delaware's Segregated Charter Schools
December 3, 2014
WILMINGTON, Del. — The American Civil Liberties Union and the Community Legal Aid Society today
filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights charging that Delaware’s
charter school law and policies have a discriminatory impact on students of color and students with disabilities,
and have significantly contributed to the resegregation of Delaware’s public schools.
"Charter schools have been granted broad authority in their admissions processes. They get to choose which
students can attend, rather than giving parents a true choice. The result is that students of color and students
with disabilities are not getting an equal chance to attend many of the high-performing charter schools. For
students of color who do attend charter schools, most attend racially segregated schools," said Courtney Bowie,
senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Racial Justice Program.
More than three-quarters of charter schools operating in Delaware are racially identifiable, according to the
complaint. High-performing charter schools are almost entirely racially identifiable as white. Low-income
students and students with disabilities are disproportionately relegated to failing charter schools and charter
schools that are racially identifiable as African American or Hispanic, none of which are high performing.
Another result of the proliferation of charter schools is increased segregation in traditional public schools
located in districts where charter schools operate.
"Every student in Delaware deserves equal access to a high-quality education," said Kathleen MacRae,
executive director of the ACLU of Delaware. "But what has evolved since the passage of the Charter School
Act of 1995 is state-sanctioned preferential treatment for families who are able to navigate the special
requirements of charter school admissions."
These requirements include high examination scores, essays written by parents to explain why a school is a
good choice for their child, access to gifted and talented elementary and middle school programs that help
increase academic performance, annual activities fees, mandatory parent involvement, and mandatory high-cost
uniform purchases. Such barriers prevent students from low-income African American and Hispanic families
from having the same access to high quality charter schools that middle and upper class families have.
"We hope that the Office of Civil Rights recognizes that any system of selection that has the effect of almost
completely excluding children with disabilities from the 'high-achieving' charter schools is deeply disturbing
and must constitute illegal discrimination," says Dan Atkins, legal advocacy director of the Disabilities Law
Program of Community Legal Aid Society.
He adds, "It's terribly unfair to the children with disabilities who should have earned their place in those
schools, and it sends a harmful and hurtful message, really to everyone, to continue to shut those students out.
We look forward to working with the federal government, the state of Delaware, and Red Clay Consolidated
School District to develop criteria that integrate more students with disabilities. This is consistent with the state
and federal government’s mission to provide equal educational opportunities to all children — regardless of
race, income, and disability.”
1. What is the main complaint of the ACLU?
a. Delaware doesn’t have charter schools
b. Some charter schools in Delaware are not accessible to all students
c. All charter schools are illegal
d. Delaware charter schools are too expensive
2. According to the article, what two groups of students are not receiving equal access to quality
education?
a. Out-of-state students and minorities
b. Students in poverty and females
c. Students in poverty and males
d. Students of color and students with disabilities
3. The quality charter school admissions process has requirements that some believe to be unfair. What do
these include?
a. High exam scores, parent involvement and uniforms
b. Must be Caucasian, Asian or European
c. Required to pay for classes and live in dormitories
d. Must be wealthy and go to school all year long
4. What does the author mean by the statement, “More than three-quarters of charter schools operating in
Delaware are racially identifiable…”
5. Paraphrase the main argument presented in the article. What evidence is presented to support the
argument?
6. Use your ability to infer to discuss the opposing argument on behalf of the charter school system.
American Government: EOC Study Guide. Find the answers to the following Selected Response
questions in textbook on your laptop.
1) In the United States, which is the President’s role as the chief of state?
a. The President symbolizes but does not rule government.
b. The President reigns but does not rule government.
c. The President speaks for but does not rule government.
d. The President both symbolizes and rules government.
2) To handle the government’s many domestic and foreign affairs, the Constitution gives the President
broad powers to act as the nation’s _____.
a. chief citizen
b. chief diplomat
c. commander in chief
d. chief executive
3) Which role best describes the President’s duties as head of the executive branch of government?
a. commander in chief
b. chief of party
c. chief of state
d. chief administrator
4) As the main author of American foreign policy, the President acts as the nation’s _____.
a. chief executive
b. chief of party
c. commander in chief
d. chief diplomat
5) In which role does the President serve as the head of the military?
a. chief legislator
b. chief of party
c. chief executive
d. commander in chief
6) The President proposes a highway construction bill to Congress and then pressures lawmakers to pass
the proposed legislation. Which role is the President fulfilling?
a. commander in chief
b. chief administrator
c. chief of party
d. chief legislator
7) Which statement best describes how the President works with Congress?
a. The President determines which resolutions and laws Congress must change.
b. As commander in chief, the President commands Congress to pass his laws.
c. As head of the executive branch, the President votes on laws that Congress suggests.
d. The President suggests, requests, or insists that Congress pass his laws.
8) Each of the following presidential roles is mentioned in the Constitution except _____.
a. chief of state
b. chief administrator
c. chief legislator
d. chief of party
9) When the President provides leadership on an important moral issue, he is acting as the nation’s
_____.
a. chief of party
b. chief diplomat
c. chief administrator
d. chief citizen
10) The formal qualifications for people who wish to be President are established by _____.
a. the Senate
b. the executive branch
c. the armed forces
d. the Constitution
11) In the Framers’ plan, the candidate with the second highest number of electoral votes would become
_____.
a. secretary of state
b. Speaker of the House
c. president pro tempore of the Senate
d. Vice President
12) The Framers hoped that people chosen to serve as presidential electors would be _____.
a. elected representatives
b. political candidates
c. military officers
d. informed citizens
13) The _____ makes the formal selection of the President and Vice President.
a. House of Representatives
b. Senate
c. Cabinet
d. electoral college
14) Who is represented in the electoral college?
a. the House of Representatives and the Senate
b. supporters of candidates from each party
c. the three branches of government
d. the 50 states and the District of Columbia
15) What difficulty arose from the presidential election of 1796?
a. Congress had to decide the winner of the election.
b. The electoral college overruled the popular vote.
c. One party controlled both the presidency and the vice presidency.
d. The President and Vice President belonged to different parties.
16) Who was elected President in 1796?
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. Alexander Hamilton
c. Aaron Burr
d. John Adams
17) Who received the second largest number of electoral votes in the 1796 election?
a. Alexander Hamilton
b. John Adams
c. Aaron Burr
d. Thomas Jefferson
18) How did the increasing power of political parties affect the candidates in the presidential election of
1800?
a. Each party nominated one candidate for President.
b. Many parties split the electoral vote.
c. The parties split the vote for President and Vice President.
d. Each party nominated presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
19) What happens if no presidential candidate wins a majority of electoral votes?
a. The candidate that wins the largest state wins the election.
b. The parties schedule a second election.
c. The Senate asks one candidate to withdraw.
d. The election is decided by a vote in the House of Representatives.
20) “Electors . . . shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the
person voted for as Vice-President.” Which statement best describes the meaning of this text from the
12th Amendment?
a. Presidential and vice-presidential elections are to be held at different times of year.
b. Electors should not consider political parties when voting.
c. The offices of President and Vice President are equal.
d. Presidential and vice-presidential candidates are to be voted for on separate ballots.
21) Each of the following factors contributed to the presidential selection system we use today except
_____.
a. the rise of political parties
b. the election of 1800
c. the 12th Amendment
d. the concern over succession