Sometimes it takes a school to raise the village: stakeholders' student assignment perspectives in a shifting policy landscape

This study examined the discourses used by stakeholders, including parents, teachers, school administrators, and district leaders as they described their perspectives on and experiences with issues related to student assignment policy including school closures, school choice options, and parent engagement. This qualitative interview study of parents, teachers, administrators, and district stakeholders perspectives on student assignment policy impacts in a district with a recent unitary status declaration used Foucaults (1978, 1984, 1990) notions of power and discourse as lenses for examining neoliberal discourses used by participants. It sheds light on what is known about the experiences and perspectives of these insiders, with the goal of enhancing community involvement, and ultimately, educational experiences and opportunities, in both student assignment policy planning in the aftermath of unitary status declarations.