Race, Geography, and School Choice Policy: A Critical Analysis of Detroit Students’ Suburban School Choices

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to advance our thinking about race and racism in geospatial analyses of school choice policy. To do so, we present a critical race spatial analysis of Detroit students’ suburban school choices. To frame our study, we describe the racial and spatial dynamics of school choice, drawing in particular on the concepts of opportunity hoarding and predatory landscapes. We find that Detroit students’ suburban school choices were circumscribed by racial geography and concentrated in just a handful of schools and districts. We also find notable differences between students in different racial groups. For all Detroit exiters, their schools were significantly more segregated and lower quality than those of their suburban peers. We propose future directions for research on families’ school choices as well as school and district behavior at the intersection of race, geography, and school choice policy.

Spatial Perspectives on Adopting and Developing the Two-Way Immersion Program in Estonia’s Kindergartens: Resources & Risks

“…I will detail these aspects below. In this way, these urban educational spaces in Estonia align with "choice" environments elsewhere in the world, where choice policies contribute to uncertain futures for schools and competition for students (Singer and Lenhoff, 2022).…”

Spatial Perspectives on Adopting and Developing the Two-Way Immersion Program in Estonia’s Kindergartens: Resources & Risks

“…Neid aspekte kirjeldan allpool üksikasjalikult. Seega sarnaneb Eesti linnatasandi hariduskeskkond muus maailmas levinud valikuvõimalustega, kus selline poliitika muudab koolide tuleviku ebakindlaks ja tekitab õpilaste seas konkurentsi (Singer & Lenhoff, 2022).…”

Embracing the City: Black Families’ Place Attachments and (Re)imaginings of the City and Suburb in Search of Educational Opportunity

“…Given this landscape of educational choice, a key driver of population loss in Detroit’s public school system has been Detroiters attending charter schools or engaging in interdistrict transfer programs. Notably, many of these school options are not of high quality or equitable for Black students (Singer & Lenhoff, 2022; Zernike, 2016). Singer and Lenhoff (2022) find that when compared with Asian, Latinx, Middle Eastern, North African, and White students who exit Detroit for suburban schools, Black students exiting city schools typically enroll at suburban schools with higher discipline rates and lower stability rates.…”

“…Notably, many of these school options are not of high quality or equitable for Black students (Singer & Lenhoff, 2022; Zernike, 2016). Singer and Lenhoff (2022) find that when compared with Asian, Latinx, Middle Eastern, North African, and White students who exit Detroit for suburban schools, Black students exiting city schools typically enroll at suburban schools with higher discipline rates and lower stability rates. Stability rates capture the percentage of students who remain in schools outside compulsory transition years.…”