School Choice: The Struggle for the Soul of American Education

by Peter W. Cookson Jr.

Few school reform movements have aroused more public passion than school choice. Should families have a voice in deciding which schools their children attend? Is it true that increased competition leads to better schools? How do the various school choice proposals differ? Are school choice policies logistically feasible and economically viable?

In this book Peter Cookson, a noted educational sociologist, discusses the practice and politics of school choice objectively and comprehensively. Cookson illuminates the philosophical and historical origins of the school choice movement, examines a variety of school choice plans around the nation, and analyzes the outcomes of school choice in terms of student achievement, school improvement, and the rights of the citizenry.

Drawing on his own observations, interviews, and analyses of school choice research, Cookson clarifies a number of issues surrounding this hotly debated topic. He discusses, for
―programs in Minnesota, Cambridge and Fall River, Massachusetts, and East Harlem and White Plains, New York, that demonstrate how choice can solve fundamental educational problems;
―a voucher system in Milwaukee that allows children to enroll in private as well as public schools;
―whether establishing an educational marketplace might result in fraudulent representation and other business malpractices;
―whether choice policies will overcome or intensify social stratification and segregation.

Cookson argues that school choice can be a useful tactic of educational reform, but that without good schools to choose among and full access to information about the options, the ability to choose is meaningless. He concludes by offering a proposal that would make school choice an innovative mechanism in the creation of a school system that is at once more egalitarian and superior.

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Peter W. Cookson, Jr. is the author or co-author of over fifteen books about social inequality, education and the American upper class. Currently, he is managing director of Education Sector in Washington, D.C., and teaches at Teachers College, Columbia University and Georgetown University. He is also president of Ideas without Borders, an educational consulting firm specializing in 21st century education, technology and human rights.

Peter's book "Preparing for Power: America’s Elite Boarding Schools" is widely recognized as a sociological classic. His recent book "Sacred Trust: A Children’s Education Bill of Rights" captures his commitment to social equality. His latest book "Class Rules: Exposing Inequality in American High Schools" examines the powerful effects of social class on education.

"The Red Cadillac" is his memoir of the pain and humor of growing up in the topsy-turvy world of show business, poverty and old money.

He holds a Ph.D. in the sociology of education from New York University, a Certificate of Advanced Study from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Masters Degree in ethics and world religions from the Yale Divinity School.

He writes and blogs regularly, most frequently at http://www.quickanded.com.