On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in the case of "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka," which struck down the "separate but equal" doctrine of the 1896 "Plessy v. Ferguson" decision. The Court claimed, "To separate them [African American children] from others of similar age…

Public-private partnerships in education exist in various forms around the world, in both developed and developing countries. Despite this, and despite the importance of human capital for economic growth, systematic analysis has been limited and scattered, with most scholarly attention going to initiatives in the United States. This volume helps…

School choice is often identified with right-leaning, voucher-happy, market-oriented public school systems like those found in the United States. Thus, the proposition that a social democratic state such as South Africa will offer many primary and secondary school learners far greater choice strikes many as counter-intuitive and implausible. The…

This hearing presents testimony on the future of school choice. It begins with opening statements by John Boehner, Chairman, Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives and by George Miller, Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives. Next, there are statements by:…

Provides neutral, factual information about educational vouchers. Describes some of the basic operational characteristics of voucher programs. Presents several topics associated with vouchers, contrasts the perspectives on each held by advocates and opponents, and interjects relevant research findings. Concludes with a short discussion of the…

Private-sector strategic marketing processes can significantly benefit schools desiring to develop public confidence and support and establish guidelines for future development. This article defines a strategic marketing model for school systems and articulates the sequence of related research and operational steps comprising it. Although schools…

This article explores from a broadly philosophical perspective a range of complexities of normative judgment relating to "school choice" in a liberal democratic society. It is argued that "heavy" conceptions of public education in such societies play an important role in philosophical discussions of school choice by indicating…

By opening the system to competition, popular school choice reforms seek to remake public education into a more consumer-oriented endeavor. While the underlying theory holds that competitive pressures will induce change and improvement in educational processes, research indicates that organizations often respond instead by developing promotional…

This paper examines the relationship between policy, organizational type, and the utilization of extrinsic incentives. Charter school reform spread throughout the country in the 1990s, providing the unique opportunity to study over a thousand new public organizations and the innovative operational decisions they made. Traditional public schools…

It is necessary to guard against moving toward a system in which parents' choice for their children has the effect of making the parent-school relationship a private one. Needed are parents, supported by public policy, who are involved in the life of the school in an ongoing way. (Author/GC)

Disenchantment with 1980s school reform progress has produced school choice--the get-tough, marketplace approach to school improvement. Choice proposals in California fit two categories: interdistrict plans and intradistrict plans. The latter is already a common option featuring open enrollment and management and continuation schools. Two sidebars…

Minnesota is leading the school choice movement, but Governor Perpich's promotional tours may be somewhat premature. This article examines the open enrollment concept and its consequences, including charges of elitism and application of private enterprise principles to education. Open enrollment contradicts the legislature's duty to establish a…

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…

Explores the issue of school choice as it pertains to town tuitioning in Maine. Includes the historical development of town tuitioning and current patterns by region and school type. Argues that town tuitioning provides substantial numbers of rural high school students and their parents with opportunities to choose high schools. (KS)

Despite their reputation for excellence, private schools cannot absorb the burden of educating all youngsters desiring to flee public education. Private schools are expensive and succeed because of effective leadership, small school size, and parent involvement. Public schools must be freed from the stranglehold of teacher unions and central…