in Hartfords Interdistrict Magnet Program Mira Debs Yale University miradebsyaleedu Trinity College April 7 2015 Inspiration of Sheff vs ONeill Accomplishments of Sheff As of 2014 ID: 569425
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Untouchable Carrots: Marketing School Choice and Realities in Hartford's Inter-district Magnet Program
Mira Debs, Yale Universitymira.debs@yale.edu
Trinity College, April 7, 2015Slide2
Inspiration of Sheff vs. O’NeillSlide3
Accomplishments of SheffAs of 2014, 44.5
% of Hartford students now attend racially integrated schools. 17,000 Hartford and suburban students enrolled at 48 inter-district magnet schools31
suburban
districts
accept 2,000 Hartford students as part of the Open choice program (
Sheff
Movement Coalition, 2014)
Hartford Public Schools children entering Kindergarten with
preK
experience – 34.2% in 2007, now 68% in 2013 (Debs, 2015).Slide4
Research Question Why are many families/stakeholders in Hartford dissatisfied with the post-2008 school choice system?
RSCO lottery
Hartford (HPS) choice lottery
- magnet
& Open Choice schools
- optional
- non
-magnet schools & charter schools
- required
at transitional grades
- no
guaranteed neighborhood schoolSlide5
Methodology18 month multi-site qualitative study including
Observations of parent events at 2 public magnet schools in Hartford Observations at magnet fairs, Open Houses, community forums,
Sheff
meetings
Formal and informal interviews with 64 parents & Hartford and state educators
400
+
hours of observation in HartfordSlide6
Theoretical BackgroundControlled choice as the more equitable alternative to market based choice (Orfield
& Frankenberg, 2012; Wells, Baldridge, et al., 2009) Hartford has a strong controlled choice system. So why are parents dissatisfied?Slide7
Findings: Marketing DisconnectMarketing of choice FREEDOM, PERSONAL FIT
vs. reality for Hartford familiesa White Hartford mother with biracial children, explained to me how she chose a school for her son, “I really liked [the arts school]. I actually thought [my son] had more of a performing arts bent. Not in my zone. Not in my neighborhood...So, you can have a
sciency
child in zone 3 or you can have an artsy child in zone
4.
” Slide8
Findings: Transportation problems34% of Hartford families don’t own cars (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014)
Very few magnets offer transportation for PreK students.
These families are least able to enroll in magnet schools at the moment that they have the best chance of
admission (Debs, 2015) Slide9
Parent Reactions to Racial BalancingIllegal to select students on the basis of race. But Sheff
schools must attract 25% White & Asian students.So – open seats, targeted recruitment efforts
Black magnet recruiter
“
Of course they’re all
white. They’re
supposed to be recruiting white families, and they have a better chance of convincing them to come that way.” Slide10
Implications“J-curve of increased expectations” (Davies 1966).Hartford parents have
increased ACCESS. NowFeeling of inequality (recruitment focus, double lottery, zones, transportation)New boundary lines – magnets and non-magnets, lottery winners, lottery losers
Fiercest critics: Hartford middle class families – even as they benefit the most
ability to attract and retain middle class familiesSlide11
Concluding questionsHow might we change the Sheff agreement mechanisms so that parents experience equal treatment in the choice process?
How do we respond to Hartford parents’ desire/transportation needs for quality schools in their neighborhood? How do we make all choices good choices?Slide12
Works cited:Davies, J. C. (1969). The J-curve of rising and declining satisfactions as a cause of some great revolutions and a contained rebellion.
Violence in America, 690-730. Debs, M. (2015). Pre-Kindergarten Availability and Access in Hartford Region Magnet and Open Choice Schools. from http://www.sheffmovement.org/publications/pre-k-programs/
Eaton
, S. (2008).
The children in Room E4: American education on trial
: Algonquin Books
.
Orfield
, G., & Frankenberg, E. (2012).
Educational delusions?: Why choice can deepen inequality and how to make schools fair
. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press
.
Wells, A. S.,
Baldridge
, B. J., Duran, J.,
Grzesikowski
, C., Lofton, R.,
Roda
, A., . . . White, T. (2009). Boundary Crossing for Diversity, Equity and Achievement.
Cambridge, MA: Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, Harvard Law School.