Public PreK programs are an increasingly popular policy tool to equalize early learning opportunities. Programs can be universally available or targeted to support children's readiness. At the intersection of early childhood and K-12 education, their hybrid status can be difficult for families to negotiate. Based on interviews completed in 2018,…

This paper uses school choice policy as an example to demonstrate how local actors adopt, mediate, translate, and reformulate "choice" as neo-liberal rhetoric informing education reform. Complex processes exist between global policy about school choice and the local practice of school choice. Based on the theoretical sensibility of…

Today, over 80% of public school students in New Orleans attend charter schools, and just 37% of students attend school in their neighborhood (Louisiana Department of Education, 2011; Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives, 2011). This study examines school choice participation and outcomes in New Orleans by analyzing the extent…

There is a void in current research and literature critically analyzing how charter schools and their leaders provide equal access to all students. The language used in both federal and state legislation (in the 40 states that have passed charter school legislation) providing a legal basis for the establishment of charter schools explicitly…

Hurricane Katrina set the stage for a transformation of public education in New Orleans, replacing the city's existing school system with a decentralized choice-based system of both charter and district-run schools. Using principal, teacher, and parent surveys administered three years after Katrina, this study examined schools' governance and…

Throughout history, parents have sought to find the ideal school environment for their children in various educational settings, including public school alternatives. African-American parents in particular have been utilizing private school options for more than 150 years, having been denied the right to a free, equal, public education. School…

Argues for less standardization and more diversification in public education. Responds to several common concerns about diversification: Loss of the common school, inequality, lack of curriculum coherence, and problems in rural settings. Asserts that parents should be allowed to select among several meaningful options for their children's…

Summarizes findings of two research studies examining why British parents consider private schools or schools in other districts. Apparently, middle class parents and/or parents with academically able children are looking for high quality education, high expectations, and an atmosphere conducive to work. Some possible marketing strategies are…

The role of parent choice in publicly funded education in six selected nations is examined. Focusing upon education in developed Western democracies, this study is intended to be instructive to U.S. education as it examines the interplay between state-mandated universal education and parents' right of choice. Twenty-five national education systems…

An education voucher system would be more egalitarian than the existing tax code and would force the educational establishment to pursue needed reforms. The current property tax deduction system favors the rich, but the voucher system would offer the same relief to every taxpayer regardless of income and even would provide assistance to poor,…

Recognizing that parents have a great range of options in choosing and creating an education for their child, this book is designed to help parents make an informed, conscious choice about their child's schooling. Chapters in the first part of the guide provide an overview of American education, the mainstream public sector and alternative…