Getting the Public School You Want

BY KRISTI HEIN
©1997 BY PUBLISHING 20/20

Introduction

You want to find the best public school for your children. Perhaps you've heard about California's policy of school choice, and want to know more. Or, you have already ventured into the world of school choice through your district's Optional Enrollment Request (OER) process, and wish you had had more information, more help, more time to plan. What follows is a road map to help you navigate through the process, and save you time and effort. We'll tell you what's expected of you, and what you can expect.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCHOOL CHOICE IN CALIFORNIA

Since July 1994, students throughout California have had the right to apply for enrollment at schools outside their designated school attendance boundaries: any school in their district of residence, the district in which a parent is employed, or a neighboring district that has chosen to accept interdistrict transfers (becoming a District of Choice).

Before the 1990s, school "choice" options were few. Since virtually all children attending public school went to the one in their neighborhood, parents could only change public schools by moving. The other choices were private school, or home schooling-a challenge that few parents were willing or prepared to tackle. Those who couldn't afford to move to "where the schools are good" or pay private school tuition were left out.

The school choice movement arose from educational reform efforts of the 1980s, in part as a public school response to voucher proponents-who proposed, in essence, giving parents a chunk of their taxpayer dollars back to spend at any licensed school, public or private.

In the late 1980s, Assemblywoman Doris Allen introduced legislation to address the dilemma of commuting parents: incorporated as Education Code §48204, it established the right to register elementary-age children in the school district where a parent worked.

California voters turned down a voucher proposition in 1993, but in its wake two state assembly bills were passed, expanding the Allen law and establishing "limited public sector choice." AB 1114 mandated intradistrict school choice: any district receiving state funding had to establish an open enrollment policy within its boundaries. AB 19 launched a five-year experiment (to July 1, 2000) in interdistrict transfers among districts that choose to participate as Districts of Choice (Ed Code §48209). (Both bills carry a host of provisions, touched on later in "School Choice and the Law.") To date, only a scattering of California districts have signed onto the AB 19/Ed Code §48209 experiment. Districts of Choice offer intriguing opportunities for students able to commute.

The Ed Code also includes §46600: this allows two school districts to enter into agreements under which they consider requests for student transfers between them on a case-by-case basis.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SCHOOL CHOICE?

Proponents believe that school choice benefits everyone. Although the payoffs don't always come quickly, just a few years into this new approach students, parents, schools, and communities say they're more satisfied with public education.

Choice recognizes that schools are not all the same-any more than students are. Certain students get more from the particular strengths of certain schools. You already know, from the parents' grapevine, how widely schools differ (the good, the bad, and the ugly schools; the teachers who help build and shape the school, and those that drift along; the expensive new computers no one's had time to hook up, and the threatened library rescued by heroic parents). In choosing a school, you explore the hallways and classrooms yourself; separate legend from reality and discover many more differences; find the one that fits your family; and add your own energy and voice to the school community.

Public school choice gives families at all economic levels the chance to choose the best school for each child. It helps to equalize the balance of power between districts and schools, and the parents they serve.

Choice spurs schools to assess themselves and their competitors in the marketplace. In the face of parents' new consumer clout, schools have had to find out what their customers want and don't want, develop responsive programs, and market their new offerings. Schools that once comfortably issued edicts have opened lines of communication, asking for input and approval. Savvy schools invest in sophisticated info-gathering techniques-such as focus groups and professionally conducted surveys-and publicize their new offerings with mailings, media campaigns, colorful brochures, even videotapes.

Choice energizes parents and students to investigate the array of new options. We enter into the process by defining what we want from a school, researching the choices, and applying to schools that offer what we seek. Choosing a school kindles commitment and re-involves parents with the school and system. We have always pitched in as field trip leaders, fund-raisers, and classroom helpers; now we're joining in the governance of schools, making decisions on site councils, even banding together with teachers to form charter schools.

Greater parent involvement often leads to higher student achievement. From a greater commitment to public education in general comes an overall improvement in public education. These real improvements-and real differences in school philosophies, approaches, subject focus-have begun to lure back parents who left the public school system for a private alternative.

Some schools have blossomed into multi-use family and community centers, offering a gathering place for activities and celebrations. Parents come to evening and weekend workshops on parenting, computer training, new curriculum and learning methods.

At its best, choice can involve the entire community in our schools. Revitalized learning centers attract partners from business, service organizations, museums, the arts, and colleges and universities, who send volunteers and mentors, and give children a close look at their possible futures.

As strongly as we believe in the value of school choice, we'd be remiss not to acknowledge the arguments against it, and the demands it makes. Critics voice concern that only affluent parents, who can spare the time and money, will choose-and as they pull their children (and their state funding) from faltering schools to more successful ones, the gap will only widen. Children of parents who don't know or care to choose may be left behind. There's also concern that schools filled to capacity can simply close their doors to outside applicants, effectively negating choice. It's up to the districts to tell every family about choice, to sell its advantages, and to support schools in reinventing themselves to win back and retain their customers.

Choice does demand more time and effort from parents for sleuthing, scheduling, communicating, and decision making. It calls for persistence, patience, and good humor. The competition for desirable schools can create uncertainty and anxiety. (Keep in mind, though, that schools can be crowded anywhere, not just where parents choose.)

Parents should also recognize the limits of choice. It's different in each district, with different rules and policies. Read any district's regulations, its carefully considered priorities for sorting out the piles of applications, and you'll get a good sense of the complexity of the process. Even knowing these considerations, the enrollment cycle may seem like a hurricane sweeping through, swirling students back and forth among the schools like wind-blown leaves. With the first assignments the wind dies down, then more eddies kick up as parents file appeals, schools consider them, and waiting lists inch forward. Finally, somehow, all students are placed and everyone gets back to learning.

Since California's recent mandate for smaller elementary class sizes, schools have been scrambling to find both classroom space and teachers. This definitely makes it tougher to get into the most sought-after schools. All the more reason to get started on your research, study the rules and regulations, and mark the deadlines on your calendar.

Finally, remember that we, as 1990s parents, are in the vanguard of school choice. Our children are the first generation to grow up with the experience of choosing their public school. To them, it's just part of the way the world works, perfectly natural (like using a computer!). When the time comes for them to choose their children's schools, even though they're sure to have some entirely new concepts and procedures to cope with (and reason to lament, "It was so much simpler when I was a kid"), school choice won't be one of them.

SOME TERMINOLOGY MATTERS

We use "parent" as an umbrella term for a student's legal guardian(s), and "residence school" for the school for the attendance area in which a student lives (your district may use other terms such as "assigned school," "district school," or "home school"). "OER" means Optional Enrollment Request. Unified School District is shortened to "USD."

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