I had never heard of open enrollment until I did my Education Practicum in Boulder, CO. It was that time of the semester where the schools were preparing assemblies and meetings for parents interested in looking at their "options" as to where to send their children.
It wasn't until I saw a video clip of Jonathon Kozol, author of "Shame of the Nation" that I understood the negative effects of open enrollment. It's true, open enrollment does do well for many, but it serves to those who are already "privileged" in comparison to students living in/near poverty.
How are schools supposed to do a better job when they have no resources? How are students who cannot afford to travel, attend a "better" school further away? We need to even out the playing field. We are talking about the education of our youth, our future politicians, educators, doctors, etc. Students deserve the chances to learn and expand their lives.
Open enrollment only benefits those who already benefit in this society. We need to change the funding in ALL schools so they can have similar resources.
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I wonder if open enrollment is the root of the cultural achievement gap (and segregation, really) that you're talking about, or if its its the inequitable funding of schools/distribution of quality teachers... If all of the schools in one area were well-equipped to foster genuine learning for students, would open enrollment even be an issue?
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