The German school system is known for its stratified secondary school system following the four-year elementary school. While access to grammar schools was strictly regulated in German school history, most federal states have now strengthened the will of parents and abolished the tradition of binding elementary school recommendations. New in the group of Laender that do not have a binding "Gymnasium" recommendation are Baden-Wuerttemberg and Saxony. By analyzing parliament debates, this paper analyzes why Baden-Wuerttemberg and Saxony abolished the binding elementary school recommendation and have strengthened parental choice for secondary schools.