It’s been an interesting week at LAUSD for school choice options.  I hope all of this activity leads to some positive results.  We started this site because we saw the families we work with at our school struggle to navigate the LAUSD school choice programs. There is one Board motion that has been passed and asks Dr. Deasy to create a plan to boost enrollment.  There is a pending resolution that will seek to dissolve the traditional neighborhood boundaries.  I want to examine how both of these Board resolutions will impact school choice.

1.  The LAUSD Board resolution passed is asking to examine declining enrollment tasks the Superintendent to look at enrollment trends at Magnet schools and other choice programs.  The resolution also tasks the Superintendent with expanding GATE identification which will directly impact the number of students eligible for SAS options.

  • LAUSD has some very popular choice programs with Magnets, SAS, and Open Enrollment.   Magnet schools are the most desired schools but expensive and even though Dr. Deasy would like to add more, it just isn’t happening.  SAS programs are expanding, but only service gifted students and will not bring back other families.  Open Enrollment is a great option but poorly publicized.  Open Enrollment also experiences some funny math, many schools report only 1 opening in a school of 1,500.  I am eager to see the results of this motion and I hope it will result in better access to choice.

2.  The pending LAUSD Board resolution on removing traditional school boundaries is being called “Open Enrollment.”  There are two traditional camps supporting “Open Enrollment,” and my reading of the news coverage suggests that this resolution is trying to take a 3rd view of “Open Enrollment”.  A civil rights view says that children should be able to attend the best school in their community regardless of residence.  A free market view sees the value of school choice as a means to improving schools because schools will need to compete for students to stay open.  The new LAUSD view of Open Enrollment takes the free market view one step further and believes that school competition causes improvements, which will draw parents back to these schools.  In other words Martinez/ Garcia at LAUSD believe that getting rid of neighborhood boundaries will increase enrollment and quality.

  • The Martinez/ Garcia resolution leaves me with a lot of questions and based on comments on local news sites, many other parents have lots of questions.  I personally follow the civil rights view of school choice.  In school districts that view open enrollment with a free market approach there is no data to show that it improves schools.  If you do follow the civil rights view about open enrollment, then the very first tenant is quality public schools for all children.  To ensure quality public schools for all children the district cannot take a laise faire approach that free-markets imply, the district must work to support every school being the best.  I’ll hold off on final judgement until see I the actual proposal, but I have strong reservations that open enrollment will improve education overall.