School Choice: Quality Schools for Everyone
Every child in every neighborhood should have access to a great school
Every child, regardless of background or zip code, deserves access to a high-quality education. We champion parents’ choice in what school their child attends, especially in school districts with chronically under‐performing schools.
School districts should have a comprehensive plan that ensures every student has access to a high-quality education. This means providing the best possible options for parents, and ensuring enrollment and application processes for these school options are simple and accessible to all families. Parents deserve the opportunity to apply to all types of schools, including:
- Traditional neighborhood public schools
- Magnet schools
- Public charter schools
- High-quality charter school networks that work closely with the district
School choice will only work if a school district ensures that parents understand how to access their options and that barriers to accessing these options are eliminated. In some cases of continued underperformance, a school district may consider a turnaround approach to changing a school or cluster of schools in the district, which may mean working with a strong, external provider with a history of success.
Districts should also have an adaptable process of measuring the success of their plan to ensure that every student has access to a school that provides a high-quality education. Additionally, states should provide resources and support for all schools while holding them accountable for getting results for students.
