School Choice

Abstract

School choice refers to a set of initiatives that afford parents a greater degree of discretion over where their children are educated. Such initiatives usually entail making available to parents a wider selection of educational options beyond the standard, local public school. There are multiple types of school choice initiatives, including charter schools, magnet schools, home schooling, voucher programs, and tax credits for private schools. While many parents exercise a “hidden” form of school choice via their selection of residential neighborhoods, school choice has stirred the most controversy in cases where it has entailed privatization, that is, the redirection of governing authority from a public body to parents and/or school staff.