The System

I am a bit surprised at the amount of negativity that people feel toward those of us waiting in Line. When reading news articles online about our wait, the comments from the readers are overwhelmingly negative, and passionately so. I suppose most people who bother to put out the effort to comment on online articles are just curmudgeons in need of an outlet, but I get my feelings hurt easily, and their words sting. Maybe for the most part people aren't necessarily mad at us in Line, but outraged that the school system hasn't found a perfect way to streamline enrollment into their magnet schools. But there are also people who like to compare the Line to the Occupy movement (which shows that individual's utter incompetence) and think we should all be arrested.

It's frustrating. I am tired of hearing people complain that the Line isn't fair (to be clear, I do not hear those complaints from actual people in Line. It is mostly outside observers who do the criticizing). Believe me, if there were a more perfect and fair way to go about enrollment into Cincinnati Public School's magnet program, we on the Line would have thought of it by now. Because, lets face it, the Line consists of highly intelligent, passionate people, directly affected by the process, who have nothing else to do. We have thought of any number of alternatives, but none seem fair or safe. Here's a few we've discussed:

1. 100% lottery. Do away with the first come, first served enrollment. Applications are selected at random, by a computer. If you are not selected, you are out of luck. This hardly seems fair, and actually would cause me more anxiety than a 10 day Line wait. And what of the waiting list, then? If new spots open up later, would those also filled at random? I do not gamble with my finances; there is no way I would condone gambling with my child's education. Leaving things up to chance is not an option. End of story.

2. Do not allow a line to form in advance. This option honestly sounds like it will result in the injury or death of the individuals involved. It would be a mad rush to the door as soon as it was opened. People would be trampled. Fights would break out. No, thank you.

3. Give people a number when they show up and let them go home to wait till time to apply. Who gives out the numbers? When do you start giving out numbers? What will keep people from forming a line days in advance just to get their number, thus drawing out the insanity?

I believe the solution CPS has developed is about as fair and perfect as it can get. Of the total number of magnet openings, siblings of current students, and students being retained get priority. Then there is a partial lottery, where families whose neighborhood school is in Academic Emergency can apply and then be selected at random by a computer, filling 30 percent of the available positions. The remaining openings are then filled on a first come, first served basis. My only suggestion for improvement might be to allow anyone, regardless of the performance of their neighborhood school, to apply in the lottery, and give the lottery 40%.

What it all comes down to is the quality of the education combined with a very limited amount of openings leading to a very difficult situation for all involved, school system and parents alike. Yes, it is a problem that not all public schools have adequate academic performance that parents have to vie for a place for their child in those that do. But poor performance is not a problem unique to CPS. But at least CPS gives parents an alternative to our neighborhood school. Within the district where I went to school, parents had no choice. It was either your neighborhood public school (regardless of how good or bad a school it was) or spend tens of thousands of dollars for a parochial school. I feel blessed to have a choice in the type of education my child will receive without worrying about being able to afford the cost. And for those voicing complaints that the line is exclusive to a privileged few, I would like for you to come visit us in line and learn our stories. The Line is diverse in culture, language, income level and marital status. There are single mothers, grandparents, entrepreneurs, college students, teachers, construction workers, stay-at-home parents, rich, poor, gays, lesbians, black, white, Hispanic, Indian, Eastern European, Nigerian, Chinese, the list goes on. We are united not by our privilege, but by our desire to be there. 

So, curmudgeons will continue to blame the government for not having created a utopian public education system, complain that the school system has an imperfect enrollment process, curse the parents for causing a spectacle on the corner of McAlpin and Clifton. But those of us who are in the thick of it have accepted the process despite the difficulties, and are getting our kid into the school of our choice. I would hate for the process to be change to one of the above alternatives, and most of the people I've talked to in Line agree. But another thing we also agree on: 10 days is way too long. The people who started the ball rolling ten days in advance are lunatics, and we would love to hate them if they weren't so nice!