Does school choice work? That depends on who you talk to and what you mean by "work." For education researchers and policy wonks, school choice works if it raises math and reading scores for students who take advantage of choice programs or, more broadly, if market competition improves measurable outcomes for all students. For parents, it’s even easier: Did you get to choose your child’s school? Are you happy with it? If you answer "yes" to both questions, then choice works. For you.
The question that’s seldom asked is whether choice works for America. Perhaps that’s because there is no easy or satisfying answer. Merely asking the question surfaces uncomfortable moral questions both for choice advocates and for those who insist traditional public schools are essential to the health of the republic.
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