Documents growing public support for school choice and profiles four types of choice programs. Although the school-choice movement has some real advantages in producing a market-driven, competitive, and performance-based system, it is not an educational panacea. Fundamental changes are needed within society, regulating political agencies, and…

Intradistrict programs that allow parents to consider different neighborhood schools are desirable. However, choice programs that encourage a wide spectrum of specialty schools (mostly magnet, charter, and custom-designed schools) represent a serious threat to the core (democratic) purpose of public education. Neighborhood schools will be at the…

Charter schools are appealing because they focus on results, subscribe to a democratic philosophy, enhance choice options, permit true decentralization, enable local school boards to emphasize policy, and provide a more market-driven educational system. Charter schools are serving at-risk students and providing unique learning environments,…