Opinion
School Climate & Safety Letter to the Editor

School Closures Expose Flaws in Choice Plans

August 20, 2013 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

Earlier this year, I attended a hearing at City Hall in Philadelphia. William R. Hite Jr., the superintendent of the city’s public school district, was under fire for a proposal that would shut down 30-odd schools. The plan would consolidate students into fewer buildings, targeting schools experiencing under-enrollment. Philadelphia was then the latest of several urban districts undergoing or considering extensive school closures. (“Fiscal Clouds Swirl Around Philadelphia Schools,” Aug. 21, 2013)

I watched and listened as Mr. Hite responded to hostile questions and accusations—many from parents of students attending targeted schools. He stood behind the proposal, asserting it allowed students from shuttered schools to enroll in higher-performing schools. His pitch to move students into higher-achieving schools, however, did little to calm parents and others in attendance. Parents were primarily concerned about the safety implications of relocating students.

The superintendent’s priorities were to raise achievement and control the district’s budget. The proposal attempted to address both. Parents’ priorities were the immediate well-being of their children. For many students, closures meant longer, more dangerous school routes. Additionally, some would be forced to attend the schools of rival neighborhood gangs. Parents feared for their children’s safety.

Safety is a simple and understandable concern, yet it’s frequently undermined in policymaking. Education policy in the United States is beholden to a powerful school choice movement, one backed by both parties and deep-pocketed foundations. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, a student whose school fails to make adequate yearly progress for consecutive years can transfer schools. The provision’s architects hoped underperforming schools would be compelled to improve or else lose students.

We’ve learned, however, that fewer than 5 percent of eligible students actually transfer.

Parents choose to keep their children in neighborhood schools, safe and close to home. As much as advocates of school choice would like to see children leave their underperforming neighborhood schools, a majority of parents, for safety and other reasons, will see that their children don’t.

Science Standards Offer

Researcher

Education Development Center

Waltham, Mass.

A version of this article appeared in the August 21, 2013 edition of Education Week as School Closures Expose Flaws in Choice Plans

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Do Cellphone Bans Work? Educators Share Their Experiences
Educators describe how policies banning cellphones at school are affecting students and learning.
6 min read
Photo illustration of cell phone with red circle and slash.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
School Climate & Safety Disparities, Bullying, and Corporal Punishment: The Latest Federal Discipline Data
As most schools offered hybrid instruction in 2020-21, Black students and students with disabilities were disproportionately disciplined.
5 min read
The image displays a lonely teenage boy facing away from the camera, sitting on the curb in front of his high school.
Discipline data from the 2020-21 pandemic era, released by the U.S. Department of Education, shows persisting disparities in discipline based on race and disability status.
iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety From Our Research Center Where Should Students Be Allowed to Use Cellphones? Here’s What Educators Say
There’s a yawning gap between what's permitted and what educators feel should be allowed.
2 min read
Tight crop photo of a student looking at their cellphone during class. The background is blurred, but shows students wearing uniforms.
E+
School Climate & Safety Explainer What Is Restraint and Seclusion? An Explainer
Restraint and seclusion are dangerous practices that are used to control students with disabilities, experts say.
8 min read
schoolboy sitting on a chair isolated in a hallway
DigitalVision/Getty