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Appendix B: A Statement from Task Group Member Robert Gordon-McCutchan | |
A simple and effective way to resolve the present disparity between neighborhood and alternative schools is to reverse present district policy regarding placement of regional learning center children, homeless children, and children in subsidized public housing. Virtually all of these children presently attend neighborhood schools. They could as easily attend alternative schools. For example, regional learning center children could all be placed in language immersion schools. They would attend regular English-instructed classes in the mornings with their peers. In the afternoon, during language immersion time, the children could attend special programs geared to meeting their special needs. The same could be done with the homeless children—regular classes in the mornings, enrichment and assistance programs in the afternoon. Alternative schools that are not language immersion programs could take all of the children from subsidized public housing. Their estimated numbers per year would be reserved for them, and subtracted from the amount of lottery spots available. The above plan would have the following effects. The presence of homeless and subsidized housing children would automatically lower the SES of the alternative schools, bringing them more into line with neighborhood schools. The presence of these children would also introduce instability, churn, and the inevitable problems and disruptions that are part of educating special needs kids. The presence of these factors in alternative schools, and their lowered SES, would make them less appealing. The absence of these factors in neighborhood schools would make them more appealing. The frenzy to get into alternative schools would abate as people began viewing their neighborhood schools in a more positive light. The two-tier system would evanesce, and things would be much fairer for everyone. | |
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Eugene School District 4J