The Realities of School Choice for the Latinx Community in Mecklenburg County

• In Event: 81.024 - Market Discourses and the Realities of Choice in Urban Contexts

Abstract

Current trends in educational reform favor market-based strategies such as school choice, yet empirical studies offer inconclusive evidence of gains of such policies. Furthermore, research indicates numerous contextual factors affecting families’ participation, with marginalized populations facing considerably more barriers in their school selection process. Using a descriptive case study design, this study examines the ways in which Latinxs navigate the school choice process in Mecklenburg County. Findings suggest that Latinx families’ understanding, participation, and educational opportunity were limited in many ways related to social class and racial/ethnic, linguistic, and immigrant status, despite the numerous cultural assets they sought to leverage. These findings generate implications for policy and practice, particularly in resolving theoretical contradictions emanating from economic applications to democratic education.

Authors

• Laura Katherine Handler, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Roslyn Arlin Mickelson, University of North Carolina - Charlotte