Many parents struggle with whether they are turning their backs on local or neighborhood schools when they choose to send their children to better performing schools elsewhere. The tragedy is that parents' memories of what many of these longstanding neighborhood institutions represented in the past no longer exists. In many locales, neighborhood schools do not reflect the academic energy and success that was the experience of so many of its former students. The school spirit and pride left years ago as the "adults in the room" took their eyes off the ball and failed to understand that the teaching and learning paradigms were shifting. Schools' inability to adapt and innovate has led to school closures, parent and student defections, and deplorable learning conditions for those who remain at low performing schools. The reality is that many failing schools have had decades to reinvent learning environments that respond to the educational needs of their students, but have not exhibited the capacity to do so.

Whether the dilemma is choosing a charter school, buying a home in a community that boasts high performing schools, or doing a fundraiser to supplement a school budget, parents are being confronted with a plethora of concerns that will essentially make or break their children's chances for academic promise and success. Educators should be honest and open with parents about the viability of new school prototypes, especially as these school models relate to individual student needs. Given that real school transformation will take years to fulfill, parents are looking to teachers and school administrators to serve as partners, not keepers of the status quo, so that they can collectively make the best decisions about optimal learning environments for their children. This type of collaborative approach between parents and educators can go a long way toward ensuring that all young people are given access to high quality public education.