A study that examines how two urban districts—in Dayton, Ohio, and Milwaukee—are responding to pressures imposed from nondistrict schools in their boundaries concludes that the first step toward competing may involve the districts’ simple recognition that they are in a competitive environment.
“No Longer the Only Game in Town: Helping Traditional Public Schools Compete” is available from the Center on Reinventing Public Education.
The report, produced by the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington in Seattle, says key strategies for competing include reaching out to parents, offering new school options, and taking very seriously the oversight of existing schools. The study also notes that as districts try to help their schools, some “misaligned” systems, such as finance and information systems, can get in the way.
