True Schools of Choice

Today's schools are being held accountable for the quality of students for which they produce. Everyone wants their children to attend a high performing school. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) gives parents the option to move their children if the school they are zoned for does not make Annual Yearly Progress. This is called the School of Choice option and it puts pressure on low performing schools to improve or risk loosing students to other schools. Many districts are allowing principals greater perimeters in order to make their schools successful. New programs are being introduced, curriculum changes are being sought, and pressure is being applied to classroom teachers to keep students on track and improve their scores on high stakes tests. The question that I would like for you to consider is whether districts should forget zoning lines and implement open enrollment in their schools. If a school were to reach their maximum attendance number they might implement a lottery system to fill their openings. Once a child entered the school they could remain there until graduation or time to move to another school. If a student is enrolled at a particular school their siblings would be allowed to enroll at the school when when the appropriate time arrived. All other openings would then be filled by lottery. Some believe such a system would create more competition between district schools and pressure each school to effectively manage their resources much like businesses compete for business. What are your thoughts on this issue?