Why Access to Great Schools Shouldn’t Take Great Wealth

Common lotteries, including the MySchoolDC lottery in Washington, DC, provide all families, regardless of background, an opportunity to enroll their children in high-quality schools, schools that can change their life trajectories.  Along with charter schools and non-selective magnet schools, common lotteries are promoting equity in a growing number of cities. 

“All the residents of a district deserve an equal opportunity to enroll in the best schools in the district,” says education writer Tim DeRoche. “A lottery gives every district family a fair chance — an equal opportunity — to enroll their child in a coveted school that could dramatically change her life trajectory.”