Reading an article in Newsweek by Davis Guggenheim, I was floored when I read this. He's the director of Waiting For Superman, the film about the American educational system that has just been released. I don't think it's playing in Louisville yet, but hope to see it if and when it plays here. Actually, I think it's an indictment of the education system in this country. Anyway, he tells about hearing of a school in Los Angeles called LACES. He was interested in enrolling his 12 year old son in this school the following year, because it's supposed to be one of the top high schools in the country. Not a magnet school, or charter school, just a mainstream school.
So...he called the school and spoke to admissions. He was told he should have started five years ago! And- he should have applied to other schools that he knew his son was not going to get into. Then, if, and only if, his son didn't get in those schools every year for five years in a row he would have accumulated 20 total points (four per year). After "winning" 20 points you can enter the LACES lottery, where you have a good chance, but not a great chance, of getting into the school. But since he didn't have any points, his son stood zero of getting into the school.
The article went on to say this isn't the school's fault. It's required by law to have a lottery because this gives every kid a chance. What in the world kind of education system do we have, anyway? - Where so few kids can get a decent education in the public schools?
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4 comments:
Wait. You are supposed to spend five years trying not to get into other schools so you may have a chance to get into a decent one? That's crazy. And the West Coast is supposed to be progressive. Humpf!
Actually, there are other schools that have this lottery system in other parts of the country, I think. That's why I want to see Waiting for Superman.
Admissions to the Brown School are via a lottery system, I believe.
Unbelievable.
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