Is School Choice in Philadelphia a Myth?

[Len]

Yesterday I posted an article entitled "School Choice in Philadelphia
is a Myth" http://goo.gl/VMgRW

Basically, I'm wondering if I struck a chord with the article or not.
Evidence from a Pew study from last year indicates that parents in
Philadelphia have more choices than ever, but still want even more.
Personally I'm not sure what this means--does the taste of choice
offered by charters and the voluntary transfer program leave parents
wanting even more options? Or are those choices an illusion, with
such a slim chance of charter school/VTP lottery success making the
process akin to winning the lottery. It has long been my assertion
that there is no perfect school out there, that parents always have to
balance feelings about numerous factors--relocating, budgets,
diversity, curriculum, best fit, etc. etc... Do you feel that that
are even enough options out there that align with MOST of what you are
looking for? What have your experience been? How do you feel about
school choice initiatives like charter school expansions and voucher
programs?

Full disclosure. I'd like to write a follow up article based on the
feedback I get from you all. I won't publish anything without direct
permission from you, and even then I won't use anyone's names, so
please speak freely. Folks can reply to the list to start a
discussion, that would be great, or can reply to me privately if you
wish to remain anonymous to one another.

Thanks,
Len

[heather morrison]

It seems the level of choice depends on money, geography and willingness to send your child to a Catholic (or other religious school).  If you have unlimited financial resources or are so broke that you can get tons of financial aid, then the choices are limitless.  If you can't afford tuition and don't win the charter or VTP lottery then you are totally stuck with your neighborhood school or moving (if that is even an option).  

I personally feel that all neighborhood schools should be a great default option and if you want to get something different, go for it.  We shouldn't be forced out of the neighborhood schools because they are terrible.

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Philly School Search http://phillyschoolsearch.com/

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[Len Lipkin]

Thanks for the response Heather.

Everyone--What's the gap between unlimited resources and "so broke that you can get lots of financial aid"?  I hear a lot anecdotally about the wide gap between these groups--that 'middle class get caught in between'.  But I'm not sure how big of a problem that is.  At one school I know, they won't really consider granting aid if the household income is >$125K.  With a mortgage, car payments, and all other life expenses, I can't imagine a family of 3 being able to afford a private school on $125K household income.  Is that a reasonable cutoff point?  $150K?  $175K?  I do think it is reasonable to expect that families make sacrifices to send their kids to an elite school and every family has to decide what sacrifices are worth it.  Thoughts?

Len

[Alisa]

As someone in a family that earnes less than 100k a year, my brain says that a family of 3 would be able to pay for 1 private school tuition, if they decided that was important to them at 125k. But that is just my inserting my assumptions about how other people live, not speaking from any real knowledge.

-Alisa

[miriam hill]

I feel like financial stress and lifestyle are also part of this question. My husband and I can afford private school, but we have only one child. Even so, it would be an expensive choice for us, one that would would probably mean we would save less for our son's college education and for our own retirements.

 

Also, we bought our house at the peak of the market in 2006. If we had bought just two years earlier, we might easily be able to afford private school. So our "choice," if you can call it that, will probably come down to how much we are willing to pay - in higher housing costs and private-school tuition - to stay in the city. We are still considering Philadelphia District schools but are concerned about merger rumors that could affect our neighborhood school. 

 

I envy those parents who make 200K plus. All options really are open to them, but it's sad that most of them will not even consider public.

 

Miriam Hill 

[Len Lipkin]

Great discussion.  In particular, Jackie's statement resonates with me.  

"It's frustrating. It's a shame people want more choices instead of improving the schools that already exist. Community schools make communities stronger. "

I have heard and written a lot about grassroots school improvement efforts (http://phillyschoolsearch.com/tag/parental-involvement/) , but the problem is that many families don't want to be the pioneers.  With both parents working, many families don't have the time to dedicate.  Those that DO have the time don't want their kids in a mediocre school, letting future generations of kids reap the benefits of their hard work.  It's good for community and education, but even the most successful grassroots school improvement efforts take a while.

Len