Just Trying to Give My Child the Best: A Case Study Analysis of Homeless Families Navigating School Choice in New York City

Abstract

More families are utilizing school choice in the United States to take ownership of their child’s education. The federal government aids school choice by providing quantitative data on schools and school quality. Yet, quantitative data does not necessarily account for all the information that families are seeking. Quantitative data also fails to account for the many families that have fallen victim to housing instability, many of whom are not considered homeless by federal data. There are not many studies that examine school choice in the context of homeless life. How do homeless families decide which school their child should attend, or what the best schools are? Using interview data from 15 homeless families in New York City, this study explores the novel ways that homeless families source and evaluate information, using visual cues to assess non-academic criteria of schools like safety and school climate.