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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Does school choice work?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A story in today’s newspaper examined the push behind different bills in the state Legislature to give parents options to send their kids to private schools or non-traditional public schools.
These “choice programs” cover everything from tuition tax credits to vouchers to charter schools. Similar bills have popped up in state legislatures across the country and have become part of a national platform.
But do these programs work? For every study touting how great it is there is another arguing the benefits are minor or non-existent. A study released last Thursday says the success of these programs depends on how well they are designed. (Warning: A group opposing private school choice helped pay for this research.)
The idea that healthy competition improves all schools is one of the arguments behind these marketplace programs. As expected, many public school leaders don’t buy this argument. Check out what Gwinnett Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks had to say about this.
What do you think? Does choice improve public schools for all children or is it an escape route for a lucky few?
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