In a sense, I agree that most don't get a choice. But that is because the choices are not available. The district charters are entered by lottery. Those that do not win the lottery and get into the district charters are basically left with no choice unless they can get into the Catholic schools or can afford the secular private schools.
I drive by one of the district charters every day, Your comment about the racial makeup appears to be on the mark. The bulk of the students are Hispanic - the remainder are mostly black and Asian. Whites appear to make up the minority of the school population. That is pretty much in line with the racial makeup of the city - the white percentage has fallen well below 25% overall.
My guess as to the disparity between the 55% Hispanic population in the schools and the 38% of the general population of the city is because there are so many undocumented residents. To enter a school, you don't have to prove residency in the usual sense - you just need to show a bill of some sort with your name on it addressed to a location in the city.
Bob at PC
________________________________________
From: Phys-l [phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] on behalf of John Denker [jsd@av8n.com]
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 4:25 AM
To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
Subject: Re: [Phys-L] Economist Kern Alexander Explains the Problem with School Choice
---------------- Snip
So, we are in agreement then. The people who attend these schools are
the ones who didn't really get a choice. This is what "school choice"
all-too-often means in practice: some people get a choice and some don't.
People who are accustomed to getting the lion's share think
this setup is grrrreat.
Details matter. Please let's stop making policy based on abstract
theories of what "should" happen in an "efficient market" and instead
look at what is really happening.