The New School Segregation? Inside the Debate Over School Secession

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Since the year 2000, some 71 communities across the country have attempted to secede from schools in an effort to strengthen resources. Only 47 of those cases were successful, with the remainder being dropped, defeated ,or tied up in courts.

However, when the issue played out in Tennessee, some advocates of secession were granted a small victory with a law that gave a municipality permission to create a new school district for some 1,500 students.

Erika Wilson, Reed Ivey distinguished professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and David Pickler, the last chairman of the old Shelby County Board of Education, present both sides of the debate on whether secession is meant to seek out the best education possible for kids, or whether it's costly for the schools and students left behind.

This segment is hosted by Indira Lakshmanan.