The Choice Controversy

Parents and teachers across America are taking sides on the 'choice' controversy. With this plan, parents recieve tuition 'vouchers' from local governments allowing them to send their children to the state or private school of their choice. Opponents argue that government payment of tuition to private schools violates the separation of church and state. Choice benefits private schools while draining resources and undermining free state education for all students and public schools in poor areas will suffer most. Proponents counter school choice can solve the financial and academic problems in the public schools. By rewarding successful schools, the quality of education will improve. The Choice Controversy addresses the critical questions in this hotly contested debate: What does choice mean in a democratic society? Will choice lead to higher student achievement and better schools? In addition, new data from experiments with choice plans in other countries are brought to the debate in the United States. This book is the most sophisticated and scholarly discussion of the issues underlying school choice currently available.Cookson, Peter W., Jr. is the author of 'The Choice Controversy', published 1992 under ISBN 9780803960305 and ISBN 0803960301.