The Choice Channel

“What is a ‘public’ school? That question looms large over the national debate about school reform. In light of the Supreme Court’s Zelman v. Simmons-Harris decision, the No Child Left Behind Act’s provisions mandating creation of public choice options for children in low-performing schools, and the proliferation of charter schooling and tuition tax credit plans, it is time for policymakers to rethink what is public and private in education. Historically, defenders of the public purpose in education have off-handedly labeled their opponents or proposed reforms as ‘anti-public education.’ While this tactic has long been used as a blanket defense for the status quo, it is becoming less relevant to teaching or learning and serves primarily to stifle practical discussion about how to balance the community, familial, and national interests in improving schooling for all our children.” (11/22/02)