Decades-old problem of segregated schools persists Updated April 6, 2021, 2:30 a.m. Email to a Friend Integration strategies catering to white people miss the mark While we know that the costs of racial segregation in our schools and society are harmful to all of us, an integration strategy focused on catering to white families misses the mark (âItâs not 1974 anymore, but Mass. schools are still segregated,â Editorial, April 1). While programs such as Metco (the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) are lauded for the type of socially acceptable outcomes they yield, theyâve also created real harm for students of color who have to travel great distance to communities where they need to assimilate as a way to succeed and fit in. And in places like Hartford, lawsuits that have forced integration have had unintended inequitable consequences; a magnet program meant to attract the regionâs white families has left many high-quality seats unfilled, with Hartford families of color unable to access them.