Maybe they need to rethink the Zuckerberg method of school admissions

One-App is a killer app.

Under the OneApp, which was launched in 2011 to give families an easier way to apply to the city’s numerous autonomous charter schools, parents rank their top choices among dozens of public and some private schools on a single application that has one deadline.

A computer then attempts to match them to their selections. This year, nearly 17,000 families submitted applications, up from 15,000 families last year.

As a result, only 67 percent of families received either their first, second or third school choice. That’s the lowest match rate in seven years; the system usually has matched around 75 percent of families to one of their top three choices.

Are there any Russian charter schools operating in New Orleans?  It was bad enough that we had that Gulenist one.  We do know that foreign operatives love to hack our algorithms. I'd hate to find out that One App turns out to be what got Trump elected.

Anyway I am pretty sure I see what the problem is here.

On the other hand, the school officials in charge of the process, commonly known as the OneApp, said the low match rate was simply the result of high demand for the city's most well-regarded schools.

"In New Orleans, students are assigned to schools through a process that ensures every student has a fair shot at any open seat at any school citywide,” said Kunjan Narechania, head of the state Recovery School District, which manages the OneApp.

“Every year, the number of students seeking seats at our most sought-after schools far exceeds the number of available seats.”

Maybe if we didn't waste so much time on this bizarre shell game that divides the school system among balkanized "competing" companies in order to provide parents with the illusion of choice, we could get the actual mission of providing universal free public education. Ideally, all of the seats in all of the schools would be worth seeking after.  But we'd rather play with our app so here we are.