Should more PUBLIC high schools have selective admissions?

Question

Should there be more public high schools (in the US) with a competitive admissions process?

Examples of such schools are Stuyvesant High School in New York and Lowell High School in San Francisco. Entry to these schools is largely based on GPA and test results (a specially-designed entrance exam for Stuyvesant, and California's standardised exam for Lowell).

Yet, such schools are few in number. In most districts, students and parents have no choice over public schools. Regardless of academic ability, all students in a given area are thrown together in one school. The only way out? Private schools with exorbitant tuitions. Such a system is evidently biased in favour of those who can afford to pay private school tuition.

Of course, people will argue that selective public schools will also disadvantage the poor, certain ethnic groups, etc. However, by comparison, they would still represent an opportunity for bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Answer 1

There should be schools in every county that admit students based on a student's intelligence. It's not fair for smart students to be held back because schools have to accommodate less motivated students. Many students would benefit from an environment competitive among smarter students. It would also motivate "lazy" students to work harder to get into better high schools. Not every family of a smart child can afford to send their child to a private high school.

Answer 2

Our city has a public school where admission is based on a test administered to all 8th graders. The school routinely sends students to Harvard, Brown, Duke, Chicago, Princeton, Stanford and all the top colleges.

Many of the top students in the school are from well-to-do families, but many are from families that are not rich, but value education - families that could not afford the expensive private schools in the area. And, many of the top students are from immigrant families who have no family history of education.

This school is highly respected in the community and state, and highly respected by the college recruiters who frequent it. It is a conduit for good students to reach the top in education, irregardless of their financial resources. And the students who go there, more than half of the entire school is non-white, learn to get along together with friends of every possible color and ethnic heritage.

My kids graduated from this school and went on to top college where they did well. Like many other parents in our city, we stayed in the city because of this school. If it had not existed, we would have been forced to move to a white suburb to protect our children's futures.

Answer 3

It really depends on where you live...

here in Michigan, many schools are open to students from other districts through "school of choice." Not all schools participate, but it does create some competition for students. Charter schools are also very popular and allow parents in districts with poor performing public schools to place their kids in a 'potentially' better school without having to pay for a private school education.