Reply to Another outsider who thinks Controlled-choice zones are what DC needs

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[quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele]Just to clear up a couple of misconceptions posted above. First, Ken Archer is not really an "outsider" as the thread topic would have it. He lives in DC and has been active on education issues for some time. I don't always agree with him, but I respect his knowledge of the topic. While he doesn't currently have a child enrolled in DCPS, that is only because his child is too young. I believe that will change next year.

Also, contrary to the post that says controlled choice plans are not being proposed for Wards 3 and 8, Archer's proposal does exactly that. It's notable that given where he lives, strict neighborhood school boundaries would be personally advantageous to him. So, the fact that he proposes controlled-choice even for his own neighborhood shows a certain willingness to make his own sacrifice.
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what area are you speaking of?  Or perhaps you could just say generally what DC neighborhood school families are most at risk with this proposal?  As I read his proposal, you are limited by the controlled-choice to certain neighborhoods, rather than guaranteed a specific school. But since so many DC neighborhoods lack diversity, I don't see how much diversity in the schools you are really adding in exchange for giving up the right to attend your closest school.

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Archer proposes that the "zone" be a 2 mile radius around your house. If you live near a border, the radius would be extended in the opposite directions. Based on some back of the envelop calculations that stand a good chance of being wrong, only the area near the intersection of MacArthur Blvd and Loughboro Ave. would include only "desirable" (for lack of a better word) schools. Other areas would generally include at least one low or lower-performing school.

Regardless, I do think the socio-economic segregation in DC is too extreme for this sort of plan. By the time you engineer things to have the desired socio-economic mix, you've created a transportation nightmare. You also have a real risk that those who have choices such as moving or going private will simply do that rather than be social engineered into an unwelcome situation.

My own preference is to use carrots rather than sticks. Create attractive programs that attract higher performing kids to currently underperforming schools. Maybe invite Patrick Pope to recreate Hardy in a renovated MacFarland and have a true arts magnet middle school?  If there is room, co-locate that with a bilingual middle school. Kind of apples and oranges, I know, but I'm just thinking out loud.

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