Essentially, the concept of charter schools that perpetuates the ‘rhetoric of choice’ appears to be an ideal system to facilitate equal access to educational opportunities. Nonetheless, the discussion in the article illustrates the illusion of choice. The arguments in the article present historical and current evidences that prove the illusion of choice in charter schools. Historically speaking, one of the earlier concepts of choice in education was desegregation. Desegregation, however, offered individuals limited choices. People made their own choice but these choices were influenced by other factors such as existing policies. This aspect of the discussion reveals that the rhetoric of choice is influenced by various factors such as existing policies in education, the differences in quality of education in schools, as well as socio-economic gaps.
The article is also an important point of debate because it exposes the flaws of charter schools, particularly the illusion of choice that this system engenders. Aside from policies and socio-economic gaps, charter schools also limit choice because various factors such as race and location set limits to choice and access. Despite the good intention of charter schools, the school system cultivates desegregation, particularly due to race. One of the solutions to fix the school system is to focus on assessing and changing the implementation process in order to make sure that practices in the education sector remain true to the vision and objective of charter schools.
References
Erickson, A. T. (2011). The rhetoric of choice: Segregation, desegregation, and charter schools. Dissent, 58(4), pp. 41-46.
