The School Choice Wars

by Merrifield, John

• ISBN13: 9780810839533
• ISBN10: 0810839539
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Education

Summary

What does the term school choice mean to you? Opponents of parental choice have muddied its definition, misleading parents and educators and drawing public debate away from the core issues. In a book geared for anyone who wants to better understand this hotly contested topic, Merrifield clarifies the proposals in existence today, defining the key concepts related to choice. Arguing for a competitive education industry, he discusses policy and political strategy mistakes while suggesting corrections. This informative book covers government regulation issues, typical fallacies, diversity issues, private voucher initiatives, and experiments and empirical evidence about competition.

Author Biography

John Merrifield is a member of the economics faculty at the University of Texas, San Antonio, and a senior research associate at the Education Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Part 1 Overview	1	(54)
Introduction	3	(6)
Elements of a Competitive Education Industry	9	(11)
Experiments	20	(24)
Real Evidence about Competition	44	(11)
Part 2 Issues in the Debate over Parental Choice	55	(92)
Liberal/Conservative Role Reversal	57	(10)
Fallacies about School Choice	67	(23)
Government Regulation Issues	90	(7)
The Neglect of Costs	97	(16)
Fund Children or Institutions?	113	(11)
Equity and Equality	124	(10)
Diversity Issues	134	(13)
Part 3 Strategic and Tactical Issues	147	(53)
Strategic and Tactical Fallacies	149	(11)
Private Voucher Initiatives	160	(9)
Teachers	169	(15)
Outlook and Political Strategy	184	(16)
Bibliography	200	(14)
Index	214	(5)
About the Author	219