The Racial Imbalance Advisory Council (RIAC) advises the Commissioner of Education and the Board of Education on matters pertinent to the development and maintenance of school desegregation/integration in public schools within the Commonwealth. The Council assesses statewide trends and needs in desegregation and integration patterns, seeks wide public and professional input, and disseminates information regarding racial balance, and access to effective educational programs for all the Commonwealth's children regardless of race or class. RIAC also advises and makes recommendations regarding legislation, regulations and program guidelines, and provides other programmatic recommendations, as it deems necessary, to fulfill the goals established by the Board of Education. Membership on the Council is representative of a broad base of individuals experienced in equity theory — its application and implementation at the district and school levels.
The primary goal of the Racial Imbalance Advisory Council (RIAC) is to: review the *Racial Imbalance Law in order to respond to significant changing demographic needs, changing student needs, changing district needs, changing desegregation plans, and to ensure that districts adhere to the tenets of the Racial Imbalance Law. The Racial Imbalance Law was passed with the knowledge and understanding that the legacy of racial discrimination in our society carries long-term consequences.
Of primary concerns to the RIAC are the integration of students in our public schools and improved student achievement for all. Both are still lacking in many urban Massachusetts schools and districts. There continues to be pronounced racial and cultural differences in student achievement, participation in special education, suspensions and expulsions. The Council believes that school districts need to focus their efforts on adequate and appropriate staff development that prepares teachers to meet the needs of all students regardless of their racial heritage or socio-economic status. Of equal importance is the belief that districts should develop appropriate evaluation tools that will ensure timely identification of systemic strengths and weaknesses and if necessary develop and implement plans for appropriate improvement.
The Racial Imbalance Advisory Council (RIAC) advocates for the importance of diversity in the education of the children of the Commonwealth. It believes that all children should be held to the highest standards and afforded access to the highest quality of education. To this end the Council will:
Co-Chairpersons: Dr. Kahris McLaughlin and Mr. William Newell
Secretary: Dr. Michael Morris
For Further Information Contact
DESE Liaison Sylvia Lam Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148 Telephone: 781-338-3567
Charles V. Willie, Ph.D., & Michael Alves, Ed.M. (1996); Controlled Choice: A New Approach To Desegregated Education and School Improvement. Education Alliance Press.
Carl A. Grant (1995); Educating for Diversity: An Anthology of Multicultural Voices. Allyn & Bacon
Schott Foundation for Public Education (2008). Given half a chance: The Schott 50 state report on pulbic education and black males. Executive Summary. Cambridge, MA: Author. Retrieved October 20, 2008
Singleton, G. E. & Linton, C. (2006). Courageous conversations about race: A field guide for achieving equity in schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Uriarte, M., Chen, J., & Kala, M. (2007). Where we go to school… Latino students and the public schools of Boston. Boston, MA: The Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino community Development and Public Policy. Retrieved on October 20, 2008
Noguera, P. & Wing, J. Y. (eds.) (2006). Unfinished business: Closing the racial achievement gap in our schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Last Updated: March 13, 2023
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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