School Choice
Overview
 In 1955, Dr. Milton Friedman published an essay entitled "The Role of Government in Education," which introduced the innovative and contentious idea of extending free market principles to American public education. Over a half century later, school choice continues to be a contentious issue. School choice has long been apart of the American education system in the form of homeschooling, magnet schools, and open enrollment. The guiding premise behind school choice is the idea that educational options for students and parents can increase educational alternatives, both public and private. School choice takes several forms and is often broken down into private school choice and public school choice. Private school choice allows parents to enroll their children in public or private schools; this policy is considered to be the strongest form of school choice. Public school choice gives parents the option to enroll their children in variety of public schools. Currently, school choice has expanded to include charter schools, tax credits and deductions, and vouchers; also referred to as scholarships programs. Today homeschooling, charter schools, tax credits/deductions and vouchers have taken center stage in the educational policy debate in many states.
As already stated school choice education policy is an exceptionally fervent issue. On one side, it is argued that school choice takes valuable resources away from public schools rather than reinvest those resources to help support improvements in those schools; in short, school choice is a government redistribution program. Opponents also add that school choice contributes to the weakening of social cohesion and the erosion of the common good. Moreover, it is argued that school choice has not been proven scientifically to contribute to improved academic achievement. On the other side, school choice is viewed as a means to generate innovation in education, give parents influence in educational institutions, and drive school improvements through market forces. In addition, supporters add that school choice can break down geographic, economic, and racial inequalities that are prevalent in American public education.
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