"Why School Choice Fails"

Terrific op-ed in today's NY Times on the pitfalls of schools of choice. Should be required reading for every GRPS Board of Ed member, every GRPS administrator, and, most important, every Grand Rapidian who gives a damn about the city's future. Natalie Hopkinson is a parent of a Washington D.C. student:

The situation for Washington’s working- and middle-class families may be bleak, but we are hardly alone. Despite the lack of proof that school-choice policies work, they are gaining popularity in communities nationwide. Like us, those places will face a stark decision: Do they want equitable investment in community education, or do they want to hand it over to private schools and charters? Let’s stop pretending we can fairly do both. As long as we do, some will keep winning, but many of us will lose.