In the midst of the autumn middle and high school application season, New York City was ranked as having the best school choice system in the country by the Brookings Institution.
The non-partisan institution, which promotes school choice in education reform, gave New York City a grade of "B" on an A-F scale, and rated it top among the 25 largest school districts in the country for its school choice policies. Brookings looked at such factors as access to charter schools and magnet programs, online learning, and the closing or restructuring of unpopular schools, when they evaluated the districts' choice policies.
School districts were invited to highlight what they considered to be their best practicies and New York City singled out its high school application process. All students must apply to up to 12 high schools and most students do not attend a zoned school. Those applications were due on Dec. 2.Now 5th graders in many areas of the city are filling out middle school applications because they have a choice of which school to attend and must apply by Dec. 16
Like it or not, every family in the public schools gets involved in school choice, one way or another. Even families of incoming kindergartners need to apply to their neighborhood school and any other school which they'd like their child to attend. That process starts in January.
This week we'd like to know. How would you grade New York City on its system of school choice?
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