BURLINGAME - The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a case concerning the University of Michigan is a victory for affirmative action and one of its fundamental principles that an education must be accessible to all, says Barbara E. Kerr, president-elect of the 335,000-member California Teachers Association.
"Access to university classrooms means access to the kinds of opportunities that transform lives," Kerr said. "Affirmative action clearly promotes diversity in our schools and opens the classroom door of opportunity to all students. The Supreme Court is now saying we need to keep that door wide open."
The Court ruled 5-4 Monday to uphold the University of Michigan's use of race as a factor in law school admissions, but also ruled in a related case that the university's point system that factored in race in undergraduate admissions was unconstitutional. CTA is the largest affiliate of the National Education Association, which filed an amicus brief in both of these cases, arguing that racial diversity in classrooms helps all students gain useful skills for work and life.
Kerr said California teachers share the views of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who wrote in one ruling Monday that "the diffusion of knowledge and opportunity through public institutions of higher education must be accessible to all individuals regardless of race or ethnicity."
CTA opposed Proposition 209 in 1996, which banned affirmative action programs for college admissions in California. CTA is also working with other community organizations to oppose the Classification by Race, Ethnicity, Color, and National Origin (CRECNO) or "Information Ban" initiative slated for the March 2004 ballot proposed by University of California Regent Ward Connerly.
The ban would prevent the state from collecting, analyzing or applying racial and ethnic data in relation to state programs. As a result, CRECNO would impact delivery of health care and educational and law enforcement programs, and undermine research efforts involving state government.