Robin Lake considers what it would take for cities to create and oversee a diverse portfolio of learning options.
The Center on Reinventing Public Education is a research and policy analysis center at the University of Washington Bothell developing systemwide solutions for K–12 public education.
Research & Analysis
Network of Civic and Education Leaders
Evidence-based ideasStepping Up: How Are Cities Delivering on the Promise of Public School Choice?
CRPE is mapping results and progress in 18 cities that provide public school choice to families. Using a citywide lens that includes all public school options, district and charter, we look at how cities are doing across three goals: 1) the education system is continuously improving; 2) all students have access to a high-quality education; 3) the education strategy is rooted in the community. Individual city reports, a cross-city analysis, and online comparison tools let education leaders and policymakers see what is and is not working across cities and learn about promising strategies.
Portfolio Strategy
CRPE formulated the portfolio strategy as a problem-solving framework through which education and civic leaders develop a citywide system of high-quality, diverse, autonomous public schools. It moves past a one-size-fits-all approach to education. It puts educators directly in charge of their schools, empowers parents to choose the right schools for their children, and focuses school system leaders on overseeing school success. The goal of the strategy is to ensure that every student has access to high-quality learning options.
Making School Choice Work
In many cities, school choice is complex, with district, charter, and state agencies overseeing schools, sometimes all within the same city. In places with multiple public school options, how can civic and education leaders create a choice system that works for all families?
We are conducting a multi-year research project that includes case studies, parent surveys, and interviews with policymakers and school and community leaders in “high-choice” cities to identify challenges like uneven school quality and lack of transportation. We're also studying promising solutions such as unified enrollment and common accountability systems, as well as parent information programs, to learn what works and what needs to be refined.
We are conducting a multi-year research project that includes case studies, parent surveys, and interviews with policymakers and school and community leaders in “high-choice” cities to identify challenges like uneven school quality and lack of transportation. We're also studying promising solutions such as unified enrollment and common accountability systems, as well as parent information programs, to learn what works and what needs to be refined.