This paper uses the charter-school legislation of three states-Arizona, California, and Michigan--as a lens to understand the policy values embodied in school--choice reforms. It questions the prevailing rubrics of the Center for Education Reform and the American Federation of Teachers. Briefly stated, the former ranks laws as either…

California voters rejected Proposition 174, the "Parental Choice in Education" initiative, by a margin of seven to three. Estimated cost of the campaign, a week before the election, was $20.l million. Despite the defeat, Americans for School Choice, a national organization, has announced plans to launch voucher proposals in 25 states by…

Studied charter schools in California, using case studies and more than 450 interviews with teachers, administrators, parents, and community members. Focused on four assumptions usually made about charter schools to show that these schools are not, for the most part, the highly autonomous, accountable, and efficient schools of choice promised by…

Every high-achieving high school has parents and teachers who wish their student populations were more ethnically varied. When elite public high schools open their borders to less advantaged students, the gains can be significant. The Voluntary Ethnic Enrollment Program (VEEP) at La Jolla (California) High is described, along with other states' A…

In California, there is growing rift between haves and have-nots that threatens society's long-term safety and security. Efforts are under way (via proposed school choice/voucher program) to formalize this division by creating a separate school system for each ethnic group. The national push toward public school choice is relatively benign, but…

Charter schools have been proposed as a compromise between public-school choice and voucher programs and as a way to promote innovation without privatizing education. The schools are largely free of bureaucratic supervision; in return, the schools agree to be held accountable for student performance levels. Two states, California and Minnesota,…

Discusses current issues in the funding of charter schools: (1) inter-district inequalities; (2) intra-district inequalities; (3) inadequate spending; and (4) special needs funding. Explores four additional issues related to the core identity of charter schools and the nature of their students. Devotes extra attention to charter schools in…

A study of 17 charter schools in 10 California districts concludes that these schools have not lived up to the assumptions propelling them. Charters fell short on accountability, administrative autonomy, funding efficiency, choice and admissions, infusion of competition, and instructional innovation. Public school educators claim charters are…

Every day, we learn what works so students can make greater progress. Six years after No Child Left Behind's passage--and midway to the nation's goal of having students on grade level or better in reading and math by 2014--we have collected more data than ever before about the academic performance of our students and schools. This information…

After describing the history of the educational voucher movement, this paper briefly discusses the various voucher models that have been proposed and considers some of the issues for and against the establishment of voucher systems. Tracing the voucher concept back to Adam Smith, Thomas Paine, and John Stuart Mill, the author notes that after the…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is bolder than all previous federal education laws, setting ambitious goals for universal student achievement and authorizing severe remedies for schools not reaching them. In a nation where most youngsters are far from proficient in reading and mathematics and where innumerable efforts to boost learning levels…

Suggests some things that can be done to make charter schools more accountable and to promote innovation and diversity. Remedies are offered for the areas of (1) accountability; (2) funding; (3) choice and student characteristics; and (4) innovation and empowerment. (SLD)

The Reason Foundation commissioned a survey of 800 registered voters in California to determine attitudes about education and education reform. School choice was a major topic of the survey. Support for school choice was strong as was disappointment with public schools. Across different demographic groups, respondents supported the idea of school…

Findings of a study that investigated the feasibility of educational vouchers for California education and their budgetary impact are presented in this paper. In a survey of 300 parents in the Los Angeles Unifies School District with children under the age of 16 who do or will attend public schools, 52 percent said that they would use a $2,600…

Three broad themes run throughout restructuring reforms: decentralization, collaboration, and accountability. The California Legislature recently established a statewide school restructuring demonstration program to help determine whether California educators can make restructuring work. This analysis examines the concept of school restructuring,…