VIDEO: The Golden Ticket

Youtube ^ | 12/8/2011 | Mackinac Center

[MichCapCon]

Like many charter public schools in Michigan, South Arbor Charter Academy must hold a lottery to distribute its limited classroom slots among an overwhelming number of applicants. In this video, the parents of some 556 student-hopefuls vie for just 26 slots at this achievement - and values - focused school.

[fungoking]

My daughter goes to the very conservative College of the Ozarks. During his “be good or be gone” speech the college prez sadly noted that they were listed as one of the top ten worst colleges for LGBT students and top 10 worst party schools. Sad because he wanted to be the #1 worst in both. If parents had a problem with that speak up now because there were a couple of thousand kids on the waiting list and they could make one of them very happy.

Instead of waiting list, why not more schools like these?

[Ellendra]

I read somewhere (I think it was in the book Freakonomics) that Chicago students who entered their names in the lottery for the chance to go to a better school, did significantly better than their peers, REGARDLESS of whether their name was actually drawn. Assuming that was true, here’s hoping we see the same effect elsewhere.