In Durham, the reassignment process, along with the recent avalanche of letters of intent to infuse the community with more public charter schools, has spurred a Herald-Sun editorial about the county’s public school system. I encourage you to read the entire piece, but here’s a taste:
How important is diversity? Are traditional public schools in danger of losing some of the most vocal, supportive and influential members of the community as supporters as their children and their neighbors’ children depart for different educational options?
While some charter schools enroll low-income students who qualify for free or reduced lunch and need school-provided transportation to get to and from school, many charters do not. Are we at risk of creating a traditional public school district disproportionately burdened with educating the most challenging students? Does the surge in charter schools speak to parental concern over school quality and environment, or does it exacerbate poor performance and challenging environments in the traditional public schools? Or both?
Do we want to invest time, energy and taxpayer dollars in devising a transportation plan to better diversify Durham Public Schools at the risk of further alienating some families?
First, a few facts. Charter schools are public schools. They are tuition-free. Seats are assigned by random lottery. There are waiting lists for seats in charter schools. More and more parents are demanding choices.
Why? Because parents are seeking an education environment that best fits their child’s needs. Thankfully, the majority in the state legislature agrees and has lifted the cap on public charter schools so parents can begin to have more options. If the Herald-Sun really wants to delve into the issue of quality education that meets the needs of every Durham student, the editorial board should first stipulate that parent empowerment and innovation through competition is the key. The editorial board should heartily endorse school choice and encourage parents to push for more of them.
We love to say that every child is unique, but if we really want to help every unique child, we will give parents the tools to be effective and ensure they can choose a school that is the best fit for the child’s interests, strengths, and weaknesses. When we do that, we as a society have done our job.
