[jalisco555]

The real question is why these kids (or their parents) get to exercise school choice in the public schools while everyone else is required to go where they are assigned, regardless of educational quality. The way to improve public education (and the school environment) is to give all kids the opportunity to opt out of bad schools that these kids have.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Actually, I'm not sure they can exercise a choice to go there -- though I'm sure they can exercise a choice not to. This school is one of many "alternative" schools in the NYC system, and I believe all the kids who attend have been steered there by counselors and social workers, after utterly failing to function (or attend) regular schools. It's not really the sort of school one would choose to go to, if one had other viable options. The curriculum is remedial and vocational -- it is not a college prep program.