http://www.urbanstrategies.org/programs/schools/documents/MicrosoftWord-WhatisaSchoolSiteCouncil_51908ej_001.pdf

I think this is a great question and one that I have been pondering recently.

7 years ago when I was first evaluating which school to send my children to I lived in Adams Point and Lakeview was our local school. While I listed Lakeview on my list of 7 possible schools it was not my first choice. So I became one of the many parents who optioned into a different school site, (Someone recently told me about half of parents choose school outside their neighborhood, but I have not verified this stat)

Part of my decision was based on the fact that I was living in an apartment and expected to move neighborhoods. Lakeview’s close proximity to highly successful schools also worked into my equation. I could consider other school in part because Adams Point is near major public transportation routes making it easier for me to get to other school sites.

Not all neighborhoods have strong multigenerational ties and home ownership. I would be interested in looking further into the community profiles of the site that were closed. Are we closing schools in neighborhoods with high turnover, lower home ownership and more apartment living? How can strong school partner to build strong neighboring schools? A school is not bad because it is next to a great school, nor is a school good because parents living nearby don’t have easy transportation to credible alternatives.

As a parent at a overenrolled school I watch students dollars shift mid-year to cover gaps in funding at under-enrolled schools.

I understand the hard choices around school closers the district is making. I also have sympathies for the families, including my former neighbors whose schools are closing.

As a parent, I joined my schools SSC in part because I believe my background in Public Administration would be most useful in that setting. Our SSC has welcomed participation from individuals with a broad range of life and work experiences. community members who have attended meetings along with parents. They would be considered for election (by peer group of parents and community members) if they step forward and asked to be considered.

Community members as such cannot be members of an SSC unless they are also parents or staff: “The SSC shall be composed of the principal; representatives of teachers selected by teachers at the school; other school personnel selected by peers at the school; parents of pupils attending the school selected by such parents; and, in secondary schools, pupils selected by pupils attending the school.” http://pubs.cde.ca.gov/tcsii/ch9/sscldrshp.aspx

But, the District could certainly enlist local persons with expertise to advise SSCs regarding the state of the research, if any there be, on proposed interventions.

The decision also sheds much needed light on OUSD’s illegal school assignment policy, even if KM’s blog mistakenly focuses on the human non-tragedy of Crocker Highlands kids getting crowded out.

What’s with this fascination with the birth rate?

I’ve heard some pretty silly justifications for a college education but helping to promote a China-like, “one-child” policy certainly takes the cake.

Buckley’s famous comment about placing more trust in first few hundred names in the Boston phone book comes to mind.

And a much more realistic goal for OUSD (while still encouraging those who can to go to college).

Even if OUSD has your ultimate goal, it seems a valid interm goal to focus first on getting as many kids as possible through HS and 2 yr college…

I wonder if community members with specific expertise joined the over site committees in larger numbers if the outcome would be different.