What sort of school district should eastern Racine county have? A diverse one, with families forced to bus their children up to 2 hours a day? Or one where the child simply attends the closest school to their home? Which is the best environment to learn? After all, the district's prime focus should be education.
Neither of the scenarios are perfect, and the solution just may lie between these philosophies. Having a district where the parents choose (sans waiting lists, lotteries and racial quotas) would be utopia (at least in my eyes). There will always be families that want to send their child close to home, and other families who are willing to send their child to a school across town because of different program offerings.
Why not let the community decide? Competition is what is needed to make our schools thrive, not busing for socio-economic reasons or skin color - but I have come to realize this could only exist in an alternate universe where everyone values education.
So I ask you, which philosophy - neighborhood schools or increased busing for integration - is the lesser of two evils?
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6 comments:
I believe that the answer to your question is neighborhood schools. The racial imbalance happens only at the elementary school level. At the middle and high school levels the schools will be fully integrated.
Can you imagine being in kindergarten and sitting on a bus for an hour? How frightening! So let the little ones learn among their neighborhood friends and have the security of knowing that they are close to home.
It may be frightening to some, but I continue to back to my original argument. It should be the parent's choice on where their child goes to school.
My children did not attend their perfectly acceptable "neighborhood" school in the suburbs. I chose to send them on a bus (for an hour) to attend a school in the inner-city.
Why? Because that was my choice. Right or wrong, I view the multi-graded curriculm that includes a natural science emphasis as the best choice for my children.
Others may see the neighborhood school as the best choice for their family. I am okay with that - but I still believe that parents should have the first say in where there children go to school.
In my humble opinion, a 100% choice district, that encourages competition, is still the best choice.
Choice within RUSD is better than no choice bussing. The best choice, of course, is choice outside of RUSD.
Forced diversity for the sake of diversity accomplishes nothing. People choose where they live and can choose which school their child can go to, provided room exists. Spending money on bussing from an already strapped budget to appease some racial quota is pointless.
The question I have asked all along is what educational value exists through forced diversity? In my eyes, none.
Denis,
Choice within the district can come in different ways. Charter schools can be created within the district, and not be subjected to the same rules and regulations as the regular public schools. The following, a brief explanation, is a simple cut-and-paste from the Wisconsin Charter Schools Assn website:
Charter schools are public, nonsectarian schools that are open to every child. They are tuition free, publicly funded and accountable to the public. A charter school operates under a contract (charter) between the school and the sponsoring school board or other public chartering authority. Under Wisconsin’s law, charter schools are free from most state regulations that apply to conventional (non-charter) public schools. They have more flexibility to innovate in exchange for greater accountability. A school that fails to measure up can be closed by its sponsor. The school’s charter details its mission, programs, finances, governance, and methods of assessment. The contract’s term cannot exceed five years and is renewable. Charter school teachers must be licensed by the Department of Public Instruction. Charter school students take state tests required of other public school students. Charter schools may not discriminate in admissions, programs or activities.
This is very similar to the Parent Choice program (voucher program) that Milwaukee has – the best thing about these kinds of programs is the accountability factor. If a school does not succeed, it can be closed.
Randy,
No arguments from me - busing for the sole purpose of integration IS wrong.
There will always be a need for busing - many children in Caledonia and Mt Pleasant are not within walking distance of a school.
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