The Myth of “Choice” in New Orleans

[Hannah Bell]

In recent days, as John White has been appointed the new head of the New Orleans Recovery School District, there has been much written about how NOLA schools have created unprecedented “choice” for parents. Here what Karran Harper Royal, founding member of Parents Across America – New Orleans, believes about the question of “choice”. See also the response from a NOLA parent below.

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In this reform we tout our “All choice” District as the opportunity for all of the children our local school board failed prior to the takeover, to choose better schools. We state that children have their choice of over 70 schools to attend in New Orleans; however, this assertion is mere propaganda...

In truth, students only have the choice to apply to over 70 schools; many students end up in lotteries for the higher performing schools. Students not selected in the lottery don’t have a choice; they have to attend schools where available seats remain. Therefore, the schools that many students are left choose from, are the lower performing Recovery School District Schools...

Sue Bordelon says:

As a parent of a NOLA public school student, I am so happy that the myth of “school choice” is exposed here. Twenty charter schools rejected my son, and blatantly told me that since he has a disability, they had no room for him. So there’s school choice all right…..but the choosing is all for the schools to do, not for the parents or to help the child. The idea that this system is viewed and being sold as a “model” by some, is repulsive. It is indeed a model of discrimination and greed. Bring back our neighborhood schools!

http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2011/04/the-myth-of-%e2%80%9cchoice%e2%80%9d-in-new-orleans-by-karran-harper-royal/

[Mnemosyne]

1. K&R Thank you, Hannah. Good info. n/t