"I Know How Lucky I Am": Meritocracy and Advantaged Parents' Perceptions of the Fairness of School Choice Policies for All Families

• In Event: Privilege, Access, Privatization, and Equity in School Choice Environments

Abstract

This comparative case study examines advantaged White parents' perceptions of meritocracy in the context of elementary and high school choice in New York City. We find that parents critique inequities in choice policies and the unfair burdens they place on lower income families while simultaneously impeding a more equitable school choice process. They also reject the notion of school choice as a meritocracy yet describe their children’s school placements as the deserved outcome of their own hard work. Ultimately, advantaged parents prefer a return to neighborhood zoning to avoid the stress and inequities of school choice policies. To disrupt inequities in so-called meritocratic systems, education policy-makers must enact school choice policy that create a foundation for all students to benefit.

Authors

• Allison Roda, Molloy University

• Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj, University of California - Santa Barbara