For more than a century, public education in the U.S. has been defined as schools that are funded, regulated, and exclusively delivered by government. The past 25 years have brought some diversified forms of delivery through charter schools and various private-school scholarship mechanisms. Nevertheless, most discussions and debates over school reforms take place within the existing paradigm: only district schools are considered truly public, and all alternative models (whether charters, tax credits, or vouchers) must justify themselves on the basis of superior test scores. In reality, the U.S. is an outlier. Educational pluralism--a school system in which the government funds and regulates, but does not necessarily provide, public education--is the democratic norm around the world. This report explains how pluralist systems work in other countries and considers educational pluralism as a model for the United States. This report suggests a balanced path forward that honors both distinctive school cultures and the imperative to educate for the common good. The report concludes by examining practical and political strategies that would move U.S. school systems into the democratic norm, drawing upon international and domestic models.