4.3 School Choice

The global knowledge economy places a high premium on education, creating greater pressure on school systems to offer a wider range of choices. Public school choice in Boston now encompasses charter schools, pilot schools and METCO (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunities) schools, and there is a high demand for and insufficient space in each category. Charter schools are independent schools funded via per-student formula by public school districts. Pilot Schools were authorized as part of a contract between the Boston Public Schools and the Boston Teachers Union in 1994 and have more autonomy and fewer union constraints than regular public schools. Both charter and pilot schools have resources geared to different learning styles and offer a range of concentrations including arts, technology, math and science. Boston residents also have options to enroll their children in private and parochial schools, although these options require payment of tuition. With the broadening of school choice, especially public system choices available to families of all incomes, it is expected that parents and students will gravitate toward models that show the greatest measure of success.