It is fascinating the number of people who say they do not believe in school choice but who utilize some form of it. There seems to be no other explanation than that they do not understand the concept of letting families go to school somewhere other than their zoned district school. Take, for example, a family working with New York Times best-selling author, Alina Adams, who has made it her mission to help all parents find the best school for their child. 

For the sake of context, it’s important to understand that NYC parents can rank up to 12 public schools and/or programs, a nearly unprecedented amount of within-school-system choice. The conundrum starts with this family seeking out help to “get their best option.” Ironically, Adams says this conversation is one that she has often:

“Oh, no, we don’t believe in school choice. School choice means charter schools, and we’re committed to sending our child to public school. We really believe in diversity.”

“So you’ll just be ranking your zoned public school then?”  

“Well, if we don’t get into Hunter College Elementary School.”

“That’s not a public school,” I correct.

“But it doesn’t cost anything to attend!”

“It’s a publicly funded school, but it’s not under the Department of Education. It’s administered by Hunter College and it’s actually closer to being a charter school due to the – ”

“But it’s a school for highly-gifted children, right?”

“It’s a school for children of college-educated parents who have been read to, yes.”

“If we don’t get into Hunter, we’ll apply for a public school Gifted & Talented program, hopefully a citywide, even though that might mean traveling outside our neighborhood, but we’re sure it will be worth it.”

“The G&T schools, including Hunter, are some of the most segregated in the city. You did say you were committed to diversity.”

“We’re applying to The Special Music School, too.”

“Only about 15 kids out of 800 get into the Special Music School,” I am professionally compelled to point out. “Two-thirds of those who qualify for an accelerated Citywide G&T school, and half of those who qualify for an enriched District G&T don’t get a seat, either.”

“I know,” they sigh. “It’s just so unfair.”

“So, about your zoned school – “

As they give the reasons they will opt out of their zoned schools, Adams is often amazed at the ways families do not understand the true definition of having school choices or how they do not realize the number of options they have in comparison to other families in zones with failing schools.

Another family in the news recently in Chicago, was renting a second home to attend the school of their choice. Melody Roberts moved from Hyde Park to Wilmette with her son so that he could learn under the theater/film curricula that the zoned school provides. As the daughter of a public school teacher, Roberts admits that her No. 1 concern is educating her kids. But she also said that where you choose to send your kid is the single most important decision your making in your child’s well-being: 

... research shows that by the time children reach their teens, their social context is what dictates their mental and physical health and sets them up for success later, so the environment that you put your kid in all day, every day is the single most important decision you’re making for their well-being. If they’re motivated by what they’re learning and if they feel comfortable in the environment that they’re in — comfortable meaning respected and supported — that kind of comfort, then you get good results.

The article explains that the Roberts are not the only ones making similar choices. Looking at the numerous families who strategize getting the best schools for their children, how can some of the very same families feel like they are allowed to maneuver around the zoning system but others, living in poverty, must adhere strictly to their zone?

Sarah Carpenter, house-cleaner-turned-education-reform-activist from Memphis, probably put it best when she joined a group of parents and grandparents protesting Elizabeth Warren in Atlanta, “These parents came from that place where our kids were stuck in failing schools, and we can’t allow our kids to be stuck in failing schools. We got to have the same choice that you got for your kids.”

Think of options like “Neighborhood Hope Scholarships” as an “AND” to public schools; an option tailor-made for low-income communities and families who are being denied a say in the “most important decision of their child’s life.”  Most parents can’t maintain a second dwelling to get their kids in the right school. So, what can we do for those families? Consider a plan like this one.