Willie too challenged Menino's new school plan, nothing that the state of Massachusetts only provides 90 percent reimbursement for school construction to municipalities with voluntary desegregation plans--which Boston just scrapped.

And even if the city finds the money to build the schools, they will not come for another five or six years.

"Justice delayed is justice denied," he said.

"We know that 30 to 35 schools are over-chosen each year. Why does the school committee not replicate those schools elsewhere?" he said.

"What they've done is blame on race their own inadequacies and ineptitude to replicate good and attractive schools."

Looking Forward

"I'm not completely stuck with racial fairness guidelines as the only method to ensure that groups will not be turned away from any school," he said.

"One could use socio-economic data to devise a plan in which in which both poor children--eligible for free and reduced lunch--and affluent children would have access to all of the educational opportunities in these communities."

"I would be willing to develop that kind of plan," he said. "If they asked for it."

Willie isn't holding his breath waiting for Boston officials to ask for his input.

He's never been consulted at any point in Payzant's four-year tenure.

And many of the irate parents who registered protest at Wednesday's school committee meeting said that the timing of the decision precluded important community discussion.

School and city officials provided less than 24 hours notice of their proposed plan before putting it to a vote before Boston's elected school committee.

At Wednesday's meeting, Eric Mitchell of the Boston NAACP said that all local NAACP officials were away at the organization's annual national convention.

"The change has nothing to do with education. My guess is that the Mayor is being leveraged for some other political reasons," Willie said