HCC hosts April 24 public forum on educational redlining and school ratings

Aren’t you curious when a neighbor’s house sprouts a “For Sale” sign? What a surprise one of Heights Community Congress’s (HCC) board members experienced when he went online to look up a neighbor’s house that was for sale. He discovered that the house, on the Multiple Listing Service, had a big red #3 in its description. The red #3 was a rating of the local elementary school in the neighborhood. The question he asked was simply, “Where does this rating come from?”

Thus began a year-long quest by HCC’s Fair Housing Committee to research the school rating numbers that appear on many national real estate websites and in some television advertising.

These ratings can have a negative effect on the sale of a home, raising concerns for buyers and steering them away from certain communities. Reducing the neighborhood school to a number between 1 and 10, colored GREEN, YELLOW, or RED, seemed to be a dangerous oversimplification—one with potentially serious consequences.

To bring this issue to light—and as part of its continuing series on diversity awareness—HCC is hosting an interactive panel discussion on this topic, and extends an invitation to all Cleveland Heights and University Heights residents to attend and participate. HCC’s expert panel members will share their insights and lead a discussion to explore:

  • How these ratings are derived
  • How to best assess and describe school performance
  • How school ratings can impact fair housing and community diversity
  • What positive steps can we take to address this issue?

Join HCC on Friday, April 24, 7 p.m., at the Lee Road Library, 2345 Lee Road, for this interactive community forum, Educational Redlining and School Ratings.

This program is free and open to the public; complimentary refreshments will be served beginning at 6 p.m. Reservations are appreciated—call HCC at 216-321-6775, or e-mail info@heightscongress.org to reserve a spot. The talk-back discussion will be facilitated by Tameka Taylor of Compass Consulting Services. 

 

Pam Wetherill

Pam Wetherill is a member of Heights Community Congress's Fair Housing Committee.

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Volume 8, Issue 5, Posted 11:01 AM, 04.07.2015