Planning for school choice

Abstract

The image of the picturesque urban schoolhouse is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. City schools were viewed with fear or disdain. The urban school's image shifted to an unruly coop for 'dangerous' unteachable students. This stark juxtaposition reflects the gradual transition in the urban environment. Charter schools have emerged as a relatively new component available to meet urban families' education needs and provide a new image of the city school, yet to be formed. Planning has largely failed to acknowledge or address the changing urban education environment. We continue to plan our cities with the assumption of the old image of the neighborhood schoolhouse. However, through charter schools, the urban education environment is being redefined. This thesis analyzes the educational environment of students and school location in Washington, DC to assess to what extent charter schools revitalize the possibility of obtaining high quality, neighborhood schools. Through analysis of quantitative data, I compare three factors between neighborhood schools and area charter school options: student population characteristics, school academic results, and student mobility and access to the school. The analysis identifies three distinct school systems within the city, each with a different role for charter school. I suggest how urban planners might respond to city's new educational environment in order to repair the links between schools and neighborhoods.