Chelsea Volkart - Blog 4

After reading chapter four, one topic that really stood out in my mind was the idea of school choice where parents and students have the freedom to select the type of school their children attend free from government constraint (93). As I thought about the idea of school choice, I immediately thought about my own schooling experience growing up. I attended a French Immersion school from Kindergarten to Grade 12, and always the schools I attended were not in my “catchment area”. Had school choice not been an option for me, I would have be enrolled in an English program as the school closest to my home did not offer French Immersion. As I reflect upon my experience, I am really grateful having been enrolled in a bilingual program because it has provided me with a lot many more opportunities, especially now since I have decided to pursue teaching!

Additionally, the idea of school choice is especially important because as lack there of may hinder a child's chances for educational success. One example mentioned in the text, was the option to enroll in alternative high schools that are geared toward children and youth who are deemed to be at high risk of dropping out of school (101). As we all know, no two students are going to succeed with the same instructional methods at the exact same pace. Quite often, students require additional supports in place to achieve educational success and alternative high schools can provide exactly that to students. For example, R.B. Russell High School here in Winnipeg is an alternative high school that provides a minimal cost daycare for parents who are students at the school. By offering this type of support at the school, it removes barriers that could hinder ones educational success as student parents now have an affordable place to take their children while they finish their high school education.

On the flip side of things – perhaps school choice can also act as a barrier to educational success as it creates unequal educational opportunity for children and youth. As I just raved about my own experience in a bilingual program, the text discusses the idea of “streaming”. The example provided suggests that French Immersion students tend to be from significantly higher socioeconomic backgrounds and therefore are more likely to be selected to enter these programs and students who struggle in school will likely be discouraged from enrolling. Although school choice is a great opportunity for children who have supports in place to ensure they can be successful in their studies, it eliminates opportunities for other children therefore creating unequal educational opportunity for all children,

Discussion Question: What are your thoughts on school choice? Do you think there are more pros versus cons, or vice versa?