Another example of those willing to game the system to their advantage at the cost of the lesser SES
It definitely depends on how much $ you make. MIddle class me closed on my house one state over in April and did not want to change schools for my kids just for 1.5 months. The harassment that I got from the school district to keep my kids in school for 6 weeks was unreal. I had no intention of bringing them back in the fall. I was even told that I had to give temporary guardianship of my kids to someone in the old district. By the time I got that done the 6 weeks would have been over. All for trying to be honest.
All the lying and $$$ for a high school that launches kids into the arts- typically woefully underpaid or underemployed graduates anyway. And I say this as the mom of a dancer. I am guessing rich kids have a leg up there too, since they can afford to be struggling artists with parental assistance. We have a cousin who was successful in film (behind the scenes), and she always admitted that it was her father’s money that enabled her success. She had access to great college training because financial aid and loans were of no concern. She was then able to work essentially for free for years to establish herself in that world, while her dad paid the bills for her and her son. She offered my husband the same in, but of course we couldn’t afford to do that and he passed.
Enrollment fraud has been going on for a long time. Very hard to enforce but I understand that some states are trying to be more careful. Here’s another article but if you google “enrollment fraud for schools” you’ll get a ton of hits from all over the country. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemcshane/2018/12/17/enrollment-fraud-reminds-us-that-many-public-schools-arent-public/#55fafb00257d
I can give examples just in Chicago. Out selective enrollment process for the about 7 schools that are listed usually in the top 10 schools ranked in Illinois gets abused every year. They are “worth” getting into and I see the allure but what some parents will go to is illegal at best.
I remember finding enrollment fraud when driving my kids to a friends house. Both cases were lower SES kids using a fake address to attend a better school.
This kind of stuff has been happening forever. In Brooklyn in the 60’s and 70’s there were families who wanted to have their kids in the better schools and did this address lying. They would use the address of a relative as being where their child lived. It was something that was fairly common and was done by poor people at the time (wasn’t a rich person’s game back then). I imagine in NYC this kind of stuff is still happening, where two schools only blocks apart can be very different in the quality of education they provide.
I think there’s a whole other side to this story in the OP link that wasn’t presented. The basis is money. That school is succeeding because of the money (=previous training) coming in with the students.
Would the school succeed if the kids were actually from the district and didn’t have money and much previous training?
If low income kids were to fill that high school, chances are those kids haven’t had years and years of training in the arts. No extra dance classes, music lessons, drama productions; summer camps. All of that training adds up; kids have to practice to be good at things - and just showing up at a magnet school without already proven talents might be a bust.
we have a performing arts magnet school in our town. It’s failing. piano rooms sit empty, and a teacher friend says the kids who take piano or band or orchestra learn the very basics; but not much beyond that for the most part. Because they work after school, they aren’t practicing 15+ hours outside of school; they don’t have the background training to begin with. Same with their dance classes; band and music programs: Beginners/intermediates. The low SES kids are learning about the arts; but in no way is the school sought after or producing amazing talent.
so in the Dallas case, I don’t think that school would be what it was without the influx of wealthier families and the opportunities those families have already given their kids. Not saying it’s right or wrong, but just that the author didn’t really think about that aspect; the school probably wouldn’t be as strong without those families.
Seems like an even bigger scandal is why DISD isn’t providing the opportunities available at Booker T to more students. With a 25% acceptance rate, sounds like they need 3 more schools just like it.
Booker T is amazing, as are the other DISD magnet schools (Science & Engineering, TAG, etc.). And yes, we could use more just like them.