Trading the Known for the Unknown::Warning Signs in the Debate Over Schools of Choice
Abstract
TRADING THE KNOWN FOR THE UNKNOWN: Warning Signs in the Debate Over Schools of Choice MICHAEL MARTIN University of Colorado Close to one thousand low-income students in Milwaukee recently began attending private schools, using $2,500 state aid vouchers. Parents in Rich- mond, California, can choose from six school models for their elementary- age children to attend, with each representing a distinct philosophy: gifted and talented, future studies, classical studies, international, Montessori, whole language, and university lab (operated in collaboration with local colleges and universities). Education in Kentucky is experiencing radical changes in school governance and regulation brought about by their new blueprint for educational reform. In Colorado, 4,100 students crossed school district boundaries to attend school in 1989, with 62% of the state's school districts participating in a cross-district enrollment plan. Florida is soliciting ideas for "charter schools" to improve educational options for children and their parents, while school districts throughout America are designing innovative programs to respond to the challenges of the current reform period in education. Debate and experimentation involving the quality and improvement of American education have been both continuous and controversial since the nation's beginnings. The belief that a strong public school system could