Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson and the city school board may be making big changes by taking away selective enrollment and magnet schools, ABC 7 Chicago reports. The change comes in hopes of focusing on equity and building up existing neighborhood schools.
The city’s board voted to approve a resolution that supports neighborhood schools, moving away from the existing school choice system — where students must be accepted into the enrollment schools — and some forced to travel long distances for their education. The change should come as no surprise to voters as Johnson promoted the proposed shift during his campaign. Now, students will be able to join the high school in their neighborhood automatically.
Selective enrollment system hasn’t always been the most popular choice, beginning close to 30 years ago as a way to offer alternative education opportunities. Critics, including some board members, feel the district has pit schools and students against each other and increased racial inequity that it was created to solve. Supporters of the selective enrollment argue parents can chose better schools for their children if the schools in their district are not meeting their expectations or academic standards.
School Board Vice President Elizabeth Todd-Breland presented a challenge for the schools and their residents to create a “strong, high-quality pathway from pre-K to high school.” “It shouldn’t be a competition between schools, it should really be families, knowing that, ‘Hey, my child can walk to school and have a great option.,” Breland said, according to Daily Mail.
Board President Jianan Shi feels the plan should be guided and informed by the community. “The goal is that we’re able to change the current competition model so that students are not pitted against one another, schools are not pitted against one another.”
Chicago is home to 11 high-ranking enrollment schools, including charter and magnet schools like Walter Payton Prep and Jones College Prep. Back in 2017, CPS set up the selective enrollment system where eighth graders could to apply for high school over enrolling in their neighborhood school. Things worked out. Data proved 76% of students chose the higher-ranking schools over those in their neighborhood schools as fellow students were just as academically driven.
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