The horribly convoluted School Choice Registration System

I suppose on some level DCSS should be applauded for moving to a more automated way to register and manage students for the school choice lottery but sadly, the system was poorly designed and consequently leads to ongoing problems which parents continue to suffer.

Central data and test scores
I continue to find it baffling that evidence of test scores [ITBS & PSAT] and grades taken and earned in Dekalb County Schools have to be manually walked into the DCSS administrative offices as a part of the student registration process.  One would think that if the schools [teachers] simply entered the test scores and grades into a central database, then parents would not even need to visit the administrative offices to interact with mostly unpleasant administrative staff.  Parents continue to be frustrated with unanswered DCSS phone numbers and impatient directives to "bring in ITBS scores and grades" to the DCSS admin...which already has that data...somewhere in one of those buildings.

Options 1 and 2 on the School Choice lottery
Recently I had a discussion with a parent of 4 children, 3 of them magnet eligible who were entered into the school choice lottery.  As an FYI, only 1 of the 3 eligible children was selected for a magnet program however it was her experience with the system which I found frightening.

Parent x applied to Chamblee Magnet for her child as a first choice and then chose to select SW Dekalb as a backup choice in case there was no hope of admission to Chamblee.  Parent x received notification that her child was #4 on the waiting list for Chamblee Magnet, she was elated.  After some time of checking daily, she went down to the DCSS office to inquire about the waiting list.  By the next working day, she was removed from her enviable #4 spot for Chamblee and unceremoniously assigned a seat at SW Dekalb.

This alarmed parent called and appealed to DCSS "powers that be" and was informed by a less than courteous secretary of the following.  "If a parent chooses two options for schools, DCSS will remove student from 1st choice waiting list and assign to 2nd choice available seat.  It's written in writing.  There's noting we can do.  You can join the back of the waiting list if you are insistent on Chamblee."  This by the Magnet department's secretary.  Not much different from Dr Copeland.  This is however an ongoing case, so I will update our readers.

Simply put, it is our position that if the policy is as stated [and we seriously doubt it], then the policy is mindless, administrative folly.  A parent should have the option of a second choice option while awaiting the status of their waiting list spot.  We will not say much more on this issue until we can clarify the facts.  We encourage feedback from parents on this.