Historically, debates about educational choice have wrestled with big, unresolved tensions that lie at the heart of American life, having to do with individual rights, community obligations, public and private interests, religious freedoms, and more. But in recent years, school reformers have tended to talk about choice as though it referred only…

To provide a school choice program for purely political reasons is reprehensible. The St. Louis (Missouri) model, based on a court-approved desegregation settlement, has demonstrated that citizen commitment and adequate funding can create a successful, equitable program. (MLH)

Recent reports on educational reform tend to encourage a return to enforced uniformity in American public schools. If public education is to compete successfully with private education, however, increasing numbers of magnet schools should be established to provide diversity and genuine choice among public schools. (JBM)