Divided by Choice

""Essential reading for educators, policymakers, and scholars, this book offers a nuanced perspective on the intersection of race and charter school policy. Parents and students deserve more than an exit out of the public school system."" * Katherine Tate, co-author of Gendered Pluralism * ""Straus powerfully reveals how race and class shape school choice policies in America. Using Albany, New York, as a vivid case study, Straus illustrates how charter schools embody deep-rooted racial and economic inequalities. Combining sharp analysis and compelling interviews, this work challenges readers to rethink the limits of school choice, calling for a renewed conversation about educational justice in America."" * Deana A. Rohlinger, author of New Media and Society * ""Straus has conducted a meticulous analysis of how schooling opportunities are shaped by structures of racialized power and capitalism. Drawing on interviews with over 50 parents and school leaders across racial and income groups in Albany, NY, Divided by Choice reveals how 'colorblind individualism' prevails in charter, magnet, and district-based schools. The study observes only a modest level of public consciousness of empowering racial and class equality. As public schools become increasingly stratified across the country, Divided by Choice offers insights on how charter schools and school districts can work together to promote stronger social integration in local communities."" * Kenneth K. Wong, co-author of hole Child/Youth Development at the Center of Global Education Reform *