On Why Parents Need Choice (And What's Taking So Long To Get It!) [electronic resource] / Lawrence C. Patrick, Jr.
This paper, by the President of the Detroit Board of Education, discusses aspects of the school choice issue, providing examples from recent developments in the Detroit (Michigan) public school system. The paper argues that freedom of choice in an educational context is a critical right of parents,...
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| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
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1989.
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| Summary: | This paper, by the President of the Detroit Board of Education, discusses aspects of the school choice issue, providing examples from recent developments in the Detroit (Michigan) public school system. The paper argues that freedom of choice in an educational context is a critical right of parents, and that schools of choice offer the best opportunity for all children to get a quality education. Research studies indicate higher levels of student achievement, teacher morale, and parent involvement associated with school choice, and "choice" students experience significantly fewer problems in school. However, despite the recommendations of the Detroit Public Schools Parental Choice Task Force in 1986, the demand for additional schools of choice remained unmet after three years. Members of the community joined to form the HOPE Reform Team with the aim of changing the educational delivery system in Detroit. The HOPE campaign resulted in significant reconfiguration of the Detroit Board of Education and a mandate for educational change. Since his appointment, the transitional General Superintendent has accomplished a number of reform goals, including balancing the budget and winning support for additional taxes to finance comprehensive school system restructuring. The board's current plan calls for autonomous local schools administered by principals who are great leaders. The plan is designed to assure a structural change in how Detroit's children are educated and to assure educational quality throughout the Detroit district. (AF) |
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| Item Description: | ERIC Document Number: ED320978. ERIC Note: Paper presented at the Conference on Education and the Inner City (Washington, DC, November 2, 1989). |
| Physical Description: | 15 p. |