Public school choice: Implications for African American students

Journal of Negro Education, The, Winter 1994 by Peterkin, Robert S, Jackson, Janice E

(6) "Safety Valves." The adoption of controlled choice has the potential to sustain school reform efforts, create effective thematic schools, promote desegregation, and enhance student outcomes. However, adopting and implementing a controlled choice plan will not be without its difficulties and/or unexpected outcomes. Thus, communities interested in developing such a plan should consider including "safety valves" in their design to relieve the inevitable frustrations normally associated with any change process. These devices include measures in the assignment process that support those parents and students who experience difficulty in obtaining one of their first three choices. First, students who cannot be assigned to their first-choice school can be placed on a waiting list for that school. When vacancies occur during the year, these students can be offered the opportunity to transfer to the school of his or her original request. As Peterkin and Jones (1989) note, in the Cambridge example:

A transfer request is accepted at any time for any reason; since there is little benefit to the child or school for a family to feel they are 'locked into" a school where they are unhappy. For educational reasons, however, transfers are made only during the first half of the school year, except in cases of extreme emergency, as determined by the Superintendent. Criteria for transfer are those for initial placement: space and racial balance. No transfer is ordered, even if the family moves within the city, unless a school is closed or if the Superintendent orders a transfer for safety or disciplinary reasons. (p. 131)

Second, the district can opt to replicate popular and successful programs in other schools, especially in those schools where students experience little success or schools that are undersubscribed in the selection process. Third, for the few emergency situations that no bureaucratic process can anticipate, controlled choice districts must create a process for hardship appeals. These appeals should be limited to medical, social service, or legal issues; and they must be presented to and judged by an impartial panel that would make recommendations to the superintendent.

(7) Resources. While some argue that public schools must first use the funds they are presently allocated more wisely, the development of new thematic schools in districts of controlled choice initially demands additional resources. Such resources must not simply be distributed to schools. Each school must be required to submit

plan for the use of resources, including an evaluation plan based on anticipated growth in student outcomes.

(8) Teacher Selection. As much attention should be placed on teacher selection as on student selection. An additional benefit of creating controlled choice is that it opens the possibility of matching teaching strengths and preferences with thematic content and student needs. This enhances teacher creativity and reduces morale problems due to the incompatibility of faculty members with the school theme. Such a system argues against assignment of teachers by seniority provisions found in standard union contracts. Rather, teachers in controlled choice districts must compete for new opportunities and be judged by their prospective peers and parents prior to assignment. Such a system currently exists in Cambridge.