@zinhead – thanks for sharing the article. I did find it very interesting. The article tried to be well-balanced, but did show a slight slant in a few areas. First, the statistics quoted could be misleading. They point out school districts where enrolled students have a much lower median income, or different racial mix, that the population of their zoned areas. But these are only meaningful if the differences are true of the populations in that area with school-aged children. Certain areas of cities attract higher income individuals who do not have families, so there is no evidence that the statistics represent families that are actually living there and sending their children elsewhere. Secondly, the author repeatedly accuses parents who are clearly trying to find the best education for their children as choosing against “integration”. There is no evidence given that these parents are racist, or social elitists – on the contrary, all evidence given points to the scores of the schools, not the racial or economic make-up. The unintended result may be a lack of integration, but the subtle accusation throughout (reinforced by mixing stories from decades ago and stories from today) is that these current parents are choosing “against” integration.
I found it interesting that the article treated magnet schools as part of the problem. The last two cities I have lived near chose the worst-performing inner-city schools to turn into magnet schools. Due to the city’s shifting dynamics, these had larger facilities than were required for the local population, so they funded art or math/science programs to attract students from a broader area – but the students in the area still had the right to go to that school. Thus my experience is that magnet schools are an aid to integration and improving schools in low-income areas, not the opposite.
I agree that the evidence that students in very low income inner-city areas receive a poorer education at their schools than a peer in an upper-middle class suburban school, even when controlling for student aptitude and parent involvement. That does perpetuate socio-economic and racial divides across generations. If I had to choose between government spending to make these schools more broadly attractive (like magnet programs or special technologies) or taking freedom away from families to make the sacrifices they feel are necessary for their education, I would choose the former every time. Don’t sit on the sidelines and vilify the choices of parents who care deeply for their kids’ safety and future; rather make other choices more attractive to them and let freedom reign.