This volume is a thorough and comprehensive examination of the
concerns about educational choice. Judith Pearson identifies
errors, omissions, and fallacies in the economic and political
theories used to justify choice and raises questions about the
potential impacts of choice on both urban and rural public schools
and consumers. The range of potential consequences of choice have
not been thoroughly examined before implementation--a serious
problem because educational choice may undermine the basic
principles of public education in a democratic society and increase
existing inequities in educational opportunities for many students.
The bandwagon for choice is already rolling at great speed, with
such high-powered proponents as President George Bush and Secretary
of Education Lamar Alexander.
The book opens with a skeptical examination of the popular
perception of a general crisis in education and the interpretation
of test scores upon which this notion is based. Chapter 2 describes
the implementation of educational choice in Minnesota and
critically examines the thoroughness and objectivity of the program
monitoring and evaluation. Chapter 3 describes Minnesota's K-12
open enrollment program and critically examines the three Working
Papers that are the total of the state's program evaluation. The
chapter also explores abuses of the laissez-faire choice program
and the impacts of student and dollar transfers on local school
districts. In chapters 4 and 5, the author investigates the popular
concept that bureaucracy is the cause of problems in education and
questions the appropriateness of applying a policy of deregulation
to public education. Chapter 7 examines the existing inequities in
educational funding and suggests that choice may make a bad
situation much worse, particularly in urban schools. In Chapter 8,
the author looks at the probable ways that abuses of the
competitive market system will adversely affect consumers of
education. Chapter 9 addresses the obvious: Where there are winners
in a competitive marketplace, there are also losers. Who are they,
individually and collectively? Also analyzed are the impacts of
choice on educators, school boards, administrators, and teachers.
Finally, Pearson challenges the constitutionality of choice through
the probable inclusion of public funding for private schools.
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