The Social and Political Implications of School Choice Policy: A Case Study of Washington D.C. and New Orleans (2016)

Undergraduate: Marrisa Rose

Faculty Advisor: Patrick Akos
Department: Political Science

---

As school choice policy continues to grow as a popular alternative for parents seeking higher performing schools for their children, school districts have reacted to these demands in a number of ways. In recent years, charter school enrollment has doubled in most major cities of the country and voucher pilot programs have grown in several states. Although the aim of school choice policy seeks to use market principles to improve neighborhood schools, the current system has failed to provide adequate resources and information necessary for families belonging to marginalized communities. The purpose of this research aims to identify the weaknesses of school choice policy to evaluate the social and political implications of subjecting schools to market pressures. In order to deconstruct and observe such inadequacies, an in-depth analysis of school choice reform in Washington D.C. and New Orleans will be conduced. Through the assessment of these two communities, the research will show that the current mechanisms for school choice fail to remain socially equitable further creating divides between communities and leaving disadvantaged families without adequate educational opportunities.