Article

Choice in Education

Not Whether, But What
Author
Julia E. Koppich
J. Koppich & Associates
Published

Summary

Choice. It is a pleasant enough sound­ing word. In some contexts, "choice" conjures up notions of freedom and de­mocracy, concepts and conditions Ameri­cans revere. In specific application to education, choice describes a set of sys­tems or processes by which parents are able to choose the school their child at­tends. What could be controversial about that? Yet debate surrounding the issue of choice has sparked a war of rhetoric that has reached schools and local com­munities, corporate boardrooms, state legislative chambers, and even Congress and the White House.

Choice is not a new issue. It appears on the education policy agenda in vari­ous guises with almost cyclical regular­ity. But debate about choice has been reinvigorated by the now nearly de­cade-old school reform movement and continuing frustration with the insuffi­cient academic achievement of American students.

The most heated debates ensue when the conversation turns to recommenda­tions to include private schools in a sys­tem of choice—in other words, to appropriate public dollars to nonpublic institutions. Proponents assert that choice—allowing for the natural give and take of the free market system—will fos­ter competition among schools and bring about much needed school improvement. Opponents con­tend, in equally strong language and stri­dent tones, that a system of unfettered choice will squeeze the life out of the public school system and do irreparable harm to the American social fabric. This column will attempt to elucidate some of the questions surrounding the complex topic of choice.

This article was originally published in Children & Schools by the National Association of Social Workers and Oxford University Press.

Suggested citationKoppich, J. E. (1992, January). Choice in education: Not whether, but what [Article]. Policy Analysis for California Education. https://edpolicyinca.org/publications/choice-education