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Journal of Contemporary Research in Education

Abstract

Despite the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision outlawing racial segregation of education, a de facto system of socioeconomic educational segregation still exists in America, correlating strongly along racial lines. Low-income minority students are often taught by the least qualified teachers, perpetuating a demographic achievement gap, evidenced through poor rates of literacy and completion. To address the issue, education must be understood as a basic civil right instead of merely a commodity for the privileged. Because research suggests that quality education is a significant determining factor in fulfillment and success in life, the denial of access to quality education is the denial of constitutionally-guaranteed civil rights. For low-income demographics, access to quality public education can break the generational cycle of poverty and enable individuals to fight for additional rights and participate fully in society. Violations of the civil right to education must be confronted, and local, federal, and state governments should take responsibility for guaranteeing the right to education. The lack of equal educational opportunity is evidenced by socioeconomic and racial disparity in the American education system, but understanding education as a civil right continues the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement.

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