5 ms·

Every public school will be analogous to a prison no matter how good, because children have no choice on the matter. If you want to change the dynamic there th

Every public school will be analogous to a prison no matter how good, because children have no choice on the matter. If you want to change the dynamic there the only solution is school choice because children simply must go to school, letting them (and their parents) choose which school is the right one is the way to improve the child's well being and make them feel like they have control over how they spend 200 days of their year.

PragmaticPulp 6y ago
I grew up in a school system where families had the ability to switch schools. It did not solve any of the problems you mention. In fact, it introduced a new set of problems where some number of students (and parents) at every school would conclude that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence no matter what. Most of the students who switched schools struggled to make friends or were frustrated that the switch didn’t automatically solve their social problems. In retrospect, I realize I learned a lot about social maturity by staying one place with a semi-random group of people that I had to learn how to work with.
- sage76 6y ago
  > Most of the students who switched schools struggled to make friends or were frustrated that the switch didn’t automatically solve their social problems. What do you think the reason was?
Balgair 6y ago
Denver Public Schools has a forced school choice program. In that each parent/guardian must register what school they want their student to go to; there is no default. All schools in DPS are charter schools, with many different focuses and education tactics. It may sound a bit odd, but it's been working for the ~90k students for a few years now. That said, bullying doesn't seem to be any less or more at DPS. Some quick googling seems to show a few cases of 'extreme' bullying in the local news, but nothing I can really point at to say the bullying is less or more. In the absence of really any stats or evidence, I'd assume bullying is probably the same as in other large metro districts.
pii 6y ago
My cousin had a getting bullied problem in elementary school. His mom switched his school 6 times to no avail. My other cousin had a similar problem, his mom switched his school 3 times and in the end he wanted to go back to the first school. In the meantime, he fell way behind in his learning.
- burade 6y ago
  Mental health is waaay more important than anything you could ever possibly learn in school.
- sage76 6y ago
  Why do you think his problem did not get solved?
staticman2 6y ago
Students wouldn't get to choose their school under your so called "choice" suggestion, their parents would, or it would be assigned based on how wealthy the parents are or their location or where their parents could afford transportation or which school is willing to take them or lottery results or whatever. As long as kids get arrested if they don't attend the prison analogy applies.
mbg721 6y ago
In my area, diocesan Catholic schools are very popular, but they don't really seem to solve the bullying issue.

PragmaticPulp 6y ago

I grew up in a school system where families had the ability to switch schools. It did not solve any of the problems you mention. In fact, it introduced a new set of problems where some number of students (and parents) at every school would conclude that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence no matter what. Most of the students who switched schools struggled to make friends or were frustrated that the switch didn’t automatically solve their social problems. In retrospect, I realize I learned a lot about social maturity by staying one place with a semi-random group of people that I had to learn how to work with.

sage76 6y ago
> Most of the students who switched schools struggled to make friends or were frustrated that the switch didn’t automatically solve their social problems. What do you think the reason was?

Balgair 6y ago

Denver Public Schools has a forced school choice program. In that each parent/guardian must register what school they want their student to go to; there is no default. All schools in DPS are charter schools, with many different focuses and education tactics. It may sound a bit odd, but it's been working for the ~90k students for a few years now. That said, bullying doesn't seem to be any less or more at DPS. Some quick googling seems to show a few cases of 'extreme' bullying in the local news, but nothing I can really point at to say the bullying is less or more. In the absence of really any stats or evidence, I'd assume bullying is probably the same as in other large metro districts.

pii 6y ago

My cousin had a getting bullied problem in elementary school. His mom switched his school 6 times to no avail. My other cousin had a similar problem, his mom switched his school 3 times and in the end he wanted to go back to the first school. In the meantime, he fell way behind in his learning.

burade 6y ago
Mental health is waaay more important than anything you could ever possibly learn in school.
sage76 6y ago
Why do you think his problem did not get solved?

staticman2 6y ago

Students wouldn't get to choose their school under your so called "choice" suggestion, their parents would, or it would be assigned based on how wealthy the parents are or their location or where their parents could afford transportation or which school is willing to take them or lottery results or whatever. As long as kids get arrested if they don't attend the prison analogy applies.

mbg721 6y ago

In my area, diocesan Catholic schools are very popular, but they don't really seem to solve the bullying issue.