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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Original 15:22 poster here.   Allow me to clarify a few things and expand on some thoughts.

First, the child in question is not in a private school, or a topflight upper NW school.   It's a middle of the road (and improving) DC school.  So I know a bit of what I speak.

Second, at no point did I suggest that parents be forced to stay in their neighborhood schools.  I raised this point that when educated, committed parents -- making perfectly, rationale choices -- decide to leave their neighborhood schools for charters, the children of other, not-as-educated or not-as-committed parents, suffer.  It's not the fault of anybody's parents and I'm not blaming anyone for their choice - but its a fact for the kids left behind.

With regard to the previous 20:32 poster, you are right - absent charter options, many parents would leave DC or DCPS, and that would not be good for anyone.    But not all would leave.   Let's break it down:
 
-  Terrible schools - you are right - absent charter, most parents would leave anyway; arguably, the charters make no impact on the unlucky kids left behind here.

-  Middling schools - absent charters, a lot of parents would leave, but some would stay, get involved, and work to improve these schools.  Instead, the vast majority of these parents go charter.  Net loss for kids left behind.

[b]-  Great schools - ie, the Upper NW Schools.  Most parents would stay absent charters.   Instead, a few of these parents go charter anyway.   Hard to say what the impact is - maybe it makes no difference; maybe it means that the school is a bit worse off.
[/b]
So...bad schools, it probably makes no difference.  Middling schools are hurt. [b]  And great schools are not helped, and maybe not hurt.[/b]

Again - I'm not suggesting parents going to charters are making bad choices.  I'm not saying parents should be forced to send their kids to rotten schools.  I'm just describing what I see as the  impacts of dedicated and committed parents making choices to go charter.
[/quote]

20:32 here.  Thank you for clarifying.  I think I can agree with most of this except for one point.  I would make the case that the upper NW schools are actually helped, albeit it's hard to say how much.  It probably varies from school to school.  To the extent that charters draw students out of those schools, they leave openings for OOB students.  And, to the extent that the OOB students differ from the largely middle-upper-middle class, largely white student body, they add diversity of background that is to everyone's benefit.[/quote]

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