For several years now Minneapolis Public Schools have been emphasizing the need for students to have a choice in which school they attend. Giving the students and the parents a hand in the decision making process gives the family a sense of ownership. The student will feel he or she has, by making this very important decision, invested in a scholastic future. And it is the invested student who is more likely to stay in school and more likely to become a contributing member of society.

Recently the board of education of Minneapolis Schools has decided to take its emphasis on choice a step further and extend the idea to all students and all schools. Students will no longer elect to make the choice, but will be required to express their wishes before school assignments are made. Minneapolis Schools are in mostly uncharted territory here and although the idea of choice has been working well in the district, mandatory choice will present its own problems.

Choice in Minneapolis Schools- The Reasons Behind It

Minneapolis Schools have been pushing the idea of school choice for several reasons, not the least of which is a defense against school vouchers. But there are broader, more far-reaching ideas behind this latest movement. For one, Minneapolis Schools are seeking to create more diverse institutions. By allowing students a choice as to which school they want to attend, the district is hoping that students will elect to travel outside their attendance area which may be an ethnically or racially homogeneous area. By allowing students choice, Minneapolis schools may be able to overcome years of legally and culturally imposed segregation. Read the rest of this entry »