Oakland is working on improving public school enrollment, and it is turning into an ugly debate. Lost in the argument are the voices of parents, like me.

Groups with a political agenda are trying to use this as an opportunity to fight over charter schools and whether they should be included with other public schools in the improved enrollment process the Oakland Unified School District is considering.

This is not the time or place for that debate. Improving school enrollment is about what’s best for Oakland families and our kids.

The reality is, we already have a choice of public schools in Oakland. It’s just that the process is outdated, difficult to navigate and unfair in a way that creates perceptions that families “in the know” are able to game the system.

My own story with public school enrollment is illustrative of what many families experience.

As a mother of four and the guardian of my niece, I have kids at all levels of the school district. One already graduated high school, three are students in OUSD schools, and my 2-year-old will be a student in a few years.

When I recently enrolled my niece in an OUSD school, the process was a long, frustrating mess. I arrived early to the admissions intake office to find I was No. 90 in a line that would make the DMV blush. What followed was hours of waiting and paperwork.

After running the admissions office hurdles, I had to drive to the school where I hoped to enroll my niece and complete another application. It’s a process any parent or guardian would need to repeat for every single public school they thought might be the right fit for their kids.

Because parents are able to hold spots at multiple Oakland schools as they wait to hear from their top choice, schools cannot accurately predict enrollment or plan their classes. As a result, there was no room in the classes my niece needed. She was assigned to courses she already had passed. It took three weeks to get her schedule correct.

In all, I had to miss a day and a half of work to deal with enrollment for just one of my kids. For me, it was a major distraction from my job duties. For many families, missing a day’s pay can set them back for weeks. And some families — those who work multiple jobs, face language barriers or who simply do not have enough information — are unable to exercise their school choice at all.

Families in our city deserve better.

That’s why I am glad to see the Oakland school district is working on a process that connects Oakland families to all of their public school options, with a single application and deadline, and matches students to schools in a way that is transparent and fair.

It’s the right thing to do for all Oakland families and an effort that I hope does not get sidetracked by shortsighted political agendas.

Renia Webb of West Oakland is an active parent who has participated in several parent-led discussions about how best to improve public school enrollment in Oakland.