Betsy DeVos, the new U.S. Secretary of Education, has a reform agenda to advance school choice. Her track record includes enabling charter school growth in Michigan at taxpayers' expense with little oversight or accountability. Although an effective advocate, DeVos represents a broader policy movement to privatize American education, much of it…

The basic purpose of the voucher/choice concept is to provide students and their parents with maximum free choice of educational alternatives. After scanning state plans and conflicting viewpoints, readers are invited to decide for themselves by completing a seven-part questionnaire accompanying the article. Includes five references. (MLH)

The public is growing increasingly dissatisfied with public education. Vouchers hold the promise of professionalizing teaching, raising standards and student-achievement levels, and restoring taxpayers' confidence. Unless educators encourage dissent, the public will continue to perceive education as just another nonperforming, overbureaucratized,…

School choice is a strategy to avoid the problems facing schools. Crime and discipline must be confronted head-on. Using public money to supplement private education dollars is useless. Living under majority rule while running a public school is not easy. "Choice" is a quick-fix that undermines the democratic value system it celebrates. (25…