What Research Really Says About Closing Schools — and Why It’s a Bad Idea for Kids
February 28, 2018
By: Valerie Strauss
Source: The Washington Post
The Chicago Board of Education voted on Wednesday to close four South Side high schools and one elementary school and build a new $85 million high school — despite fierce opposition from the community and education activities.
Five years ago, Chicago officials closed nearly 50 public schools in a move that drew widespread protests from the community. Community members are angry again at the prospect of new closures, saying the plan will hurt black students from low-income families — who will be sent to other schools — while the newly built school will primarily benefit white students.
Here is a piece by Michelle Renée Valladares, associate director of the National Education Policy Institute at the University of Colorado at Boulder, about why closing schools is not the answer to low student performance…