High school choice in New York City

The outcome of the main match for positions in NYC high schools has come out, and about 8,000 children (out of somewhat more than 80,000) did not find a match among their listed choices and will have to go through the supplemental round to find a match: Over 8,000 New York eighth-graders rejected from high school choices, forced to apply again

"Pamela Wheaton of Insideschools.org at The New School said every year there are some kids who don't get matched because there aren't enough good schools to go around.

"There simply aren't the spaces," she said, noting the process is also "very complicated" for parents who don't necessarily realize the steep competition at some choice schools.

"The city's record at matching students with at least one of their choices has improved since 2004, when 16% of students got no matches."

A similar problem--shortage of spaces in popular schools--has influenced the kindergarten choice process as well: Kindergarten crunch: Popular schools run out of seats and parents are furious
 
Not enough good schools: that's a problem no school choice system can fix by itself.
(Recall the similar story I blogged about in Boston: Boston Globe on school choice.)

My papers on school choice in NY and Boston are here.