Re: [Phys-L] Economist Kern Alexander Explains the Problem with School Choice

[Ze'ev Wurman <zeev@ieee.org>]

On 2/3/2013 6:29 PM, John Denker wrote:
> =========
>
> How's the "choice" thing working out for you in Providence, RI?
>
> The "school choice checklist" is here:
>    http://www.providenceschools.org/inside-ppsd/registration/school-choice-checklist
>
> For each school, the percentage indicates the students whose test scores
> are on grade level or above grade level in math, according to:
>       http://www.providenceschools.org/media/55815/hs%20eng12.pdf
> "†" means not making adequate yearly progress.
>
> Alvarez		 3%
> Career & Tech	 0% †
> Central		 4% †
> Classical	49%
> Cooley & PAIS	 3% †
> E-Cubed		 4% †
> Hope Arts	 4%
> Hope IT		 4%
> Mt. Pleasant	 2% †

An excellent example why choice only within the regular public school 
system is mostly a fake choice. Until there is a real and meaningful 
choice outside the public system that challenges the public schools, 
there is little reason to hope they will suddenly improve themselves. 
And I can bet anyone that the per-student cost in all these schools is 
within ~10% of each other (except for those that are targeted at 
students with disabilities, if any).

Ze'ev