Presents an interview with Dr. Robert J. Kealey, an executive director of the National Catholic Educational Association, and an advocate for Catholic schools and educational choice. Explores the growth of National Appreciation Day For Catholic Schools, and discusses the vital public policy issues facing Catholic schools. (VWC)

Discusses the debate over parental choice in children's education and the use of school vouchers. Presents the views of some important politicians and supporters who have participated in related debates over the last year. Presents findings from studies and asserts that vouchers are good for promoting parental choice. (CW)

Describes the Child Care and Development Block Grants provisions of Congress's Omnibus Reconciliation Act and the new options it will provide for funding Catholic education. Highlights the act's establishment of the primacy of parental choice and its avoidance of privileged preference for public school prekindergarten programs. (DMM)

Describes the importance of and events that occur during the annual School Choice Day, which seeks to heighten awareness of school choice among parents and the public. School Choice Day is especially valuable in teaching students democratic principles, such as the value of getting involved in the political processes and in standing up for what…

Presents July 1992 survey findings regarding 1,239 adults' perceptions of educational quality in public and Catholic schools and attitudes toward parental choice in education. Reports grades given to neighborhood schools and schools nationally, and compares public and Catholic schools on 16 educational factors. Finds support for the voucher…

Describes how an archdiocesan education foundation developed a program promoting school choice for low-income Milwaukee families. Tuition grants provide access to alternative educational opportunities through the support of businesses and foundations. (LWL)

Recounts the landmark case of Pierce v. Society of Sisters. Reminds readers that parental choice of an appropriate education for their children is a constitutional right and liberty under law and must be sustained. Asserts that true choice will occur only when consensus on public funding issues of school choice (including private and Catholic…

Traces the history of parental rights in education since the landmark case Pierce vs. the Society of Sisters (1925), when the existence of private schools was validated. States that initiatives promoting parental choice include : (1) tax relief/credits; (2) vouchers or scholarships; (3) public school choice; and (4) home schooling. Provides a…

Asserts that all parents should have a choice in where they send their children to school. Urges public policy makers to take into consideration that funding needs to be offered equally to all of society in order to fully achieve school choice. Emphasizes the need for parent advocacy to be heightened to gain more funding and maintain parental…

Reports on a group of advocates for school choice that took its cause to Capitol Hill and met with mixed response. States that the issue of church-state separation repeatedly comes up in arguments against school choice. Emphasizes that parents must have the freedom to choose what learning environments are best for their children. (CJW)

States that the future of the school choice movement depends upon Catholic educators working in partnership with parents, politicians, and business leaders. Reiterates Pope John Paul II's statement that parents have the right to choose their children's education according to their beliefs, and calls for special advocacy for the rights of…

Summarizes recent judicial and legislative action regarding school choice programs and explains the connection between school choice and the increased discussion of federal education tax credit initiatives. A tax credit would allow beneficiaries to apply the credit amount toward yearly federal tax liability and, if the credit is refundable,…

Explains "educational choice," a funding policy giving parents the option to select their child's educational environment without financial penalty, and its importance to the American educational system. Suggests activities for supporters of educational choice, including raising awareness, dispelling misinformation, encouraging others to act, and…

Reviews federal laws and Supreme Court rulings on aid to nonpublic schools. Contends the current wave of school choice legislation is limited to nonsectarian private schools. Supports the National Catholic Educational Association's agenda for political action and public policy in pursuit of funding for nonpublic schools. (RAJ)

Discusses the role that Political Action Committees (PACs) have played in school choice initiatives in public school systems nationwide. Suggests that the popular sentiment is in favor of school choice but that the PACs, through their overwhelming resources, are preventing its implementation in school districts nationwide. (MAB)