Let's Put Parents Back in Charge!

by Joseph L. Bast

This book is for parents, teachers, policymakers, taxpayers, and everyone who wants great schools for children regardless of their race, social background, and parents' income. Our thesis is that America once had great kindergarten-to-twelfth grade (K-12) schools, and wouold have them once again if parents were put back in charge of their children's education by being free to choose the schools their children attend. School vouchers--tax-funded certificates or scholarships that parents can apply toward the tuition of private schools--are the mechanism for making school choice a reality. Widespread adoption of school vouchers will take place only when majorities of voters and opinion leaders are convinced that a system of competing private and public schools would be better than the current public school monopoly, and are moved to act on their convictions. Creating a sound basis for that conviction and decision to act is the purpose of this book.

103 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Joseph Lee Bast: son of LeRoy J. & Elizabeth M. Bast (m. 9.29.51); Married Diane C. Ver Voort, 8/29/81.
Catholic
Attended U of Chicago until 1984
Dir, Nomos Press 1983-88
Founding Dir, State Policy Inst 1991-97
Dir, American Conservative Union
President/CEO, The Heartland Institute
Trustee, Shimer College
State Policy Network Roe Award '94
Eagle Forum Award '98
Philadelphia Society Member 2002+
Libertarian Party Champion of Liberty
Award 2004
Published in Phi Delta Kappan, Economics of Education Review, Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Cato Journal & USA Today. Publishes 5 moly papers: School Reform News, Environment & Climate News, Health Care News, Budget & Tax News & IT&T News. Contributes to public policy debate, testifying before Congress against environmental legislation. Named one of “88 to Watch in '88” by Chicago's Tribune. Commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by Gov. Paul E. Patton on 6/19/96. Corecipient of the '96 Sir Antony Fisher Internat'l Memorial Award. Elected to American Conservative Union board in '07.
He was the Heartland Inst's lst employee in '84. Originally focused on policies relevant to the Midwest, since '93 it's focused on nat'l officials & opinion leaders. It features an Internet application, PolicyBot, a clearinghouse for research from other conservative thinktanks like the Heritage Foundation, American Legislative Exchange Council & Cato Inst. Criticized for having executives from ExxonMobil & Philip Morris on its board & in its PR dept, it counters that "no one on Heartland's board of directors works for a tobacco company (Roy Marden retired yrs ago) or for an oil company (Walter Buchholtz was on the board but no longer is)."

Reviews

[James Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A guide for School reformers by The Heartland Institute.