In Los Angeles Unified alone, there are more than 400 elementary schools, plus hundreds of specialized programs and dozens of charter schools run by separate nonprofits. The default option is to attend the assigned school nearest your home, but there are many reasons families may consider another school. Some of these schools are so popular there isn’t room for every student who wants to enroll. Today on AirTalk, we discuss California’s unique school choice options with LAist’s K-12 senior reporter, Mariana Dale, and professor of education policy at USC, Julie Marsh.