School Choice in Michigan: A Primer for Freedom in Education

  School choice--the right, freedom, and ability of parents to choose for their children the safest and best schools--has moved front and center in the debate over how to improve education in Michigan. This three-part primer equips parents, educators, and policy makers with the facts they need to understand and advance market-based reforms that will help all Michigan schools perform at higher levels of quality and efficiency.
  The primer examines the history of government-funded and operated schooling, explains why nonmarket-oriented school reform efforts ultimately fail, and describes various school choice proposals including charter schools, inter-district choice, vouchers, tax credits, and universal tuition tax credits. Helpful appendices explain ways for grass-roots citizens to help advance school choice.

Contents

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Part I: "Public Schools" Come to America
  • 1. The Origins of Government Education in the United States
    • Early Colonial Period to the American Revolution: A Free Market in Education
    • Revolution to the 1830s: New England's First Experiment with Government Schools
    • The 1830s and 40s: Horace Mann, the End of Free-Market Education, and the Rise of Government Schools
    • The 1850s and Beyond: States Strengthen Government's Role in Education and Restrict School Choice
  • 2. A Brief History of Government Education in Michigan
    • Isaac E. Crary: The Founder of Government Education in Michigan
    • John Davis Pierce: Michigan's First Superintendent of Public Instruction
    • Michigan Children Become "Creatures of the State"
    • Michigan Education in the Twentieth Century
    • "Parochiaid" and the 1970 Amendment to the Michigan Constitution
    • The Effect of the 1970 Anti-Choice Amendment
• Part II: Governmental vs. Parental Control of Education
  • 1. The Effects of Central Planning in Schools
    • Three Categories of Education Reform
    • Lack of Incentives Produces Poor Results and Exacerbates Problems
      • Table 1
  • 2. Types of School Choice
    • Limited Educational Choice
      • 1. Intra-District Choice
      • 2. Inter-District Choice
      • 3. Charter Schools
    • Full Educational Choice
      • 1. Vouchers
      • 2. Private Scholarships
      • 3. Tax Credits
      • 4. Universal Tuition Tax Credits
  • 3. School Choice in the United States and Michigan
    • Limited Educational Choice Programs
      • 1. Intra- and Inter-District Choice
      • 2. Charter Schools
    • Full Educational Choice Programs
      • 1. Vouchers
      • 2. Private Scholarships
      • 3. Tax Credits
  • 4. The School Choice Debate
    • Proponents of School Choice
    • Opponents of School Choice
    • Spectators in the School Choice Debate
• Part III: Expanding School Choice in Michigan
  • 1. Five Strategies to Advance School Choice in Michigan
    • Strategy #1: Network with Others
    • Strategy #2: Use the Media to Amplify the Message
    • Strategy #3: Use Effective and Broad Communication
    • Strategy #4: Research the Issues
    • Strategy #5: Influence the Local School Board
  • 2. Dispelling the Myths about School Choice
    • Myth #1: School choice will lead to social, racial, and economic stratification of students in American schools
    • Myth #2: School choice violates the separation of church and state
    • Myth #3: Private schools are unaccountable to the public
    • Myth #4: School choice only allows private schools to do the choosing, not parents
    • Myth #5: Parents will use the wrong criteria to choose schools or they will make bad decisions for their children
    • Myth #6: School choice will encourage the creation of radical or fraudulent schools
    • Myth #7: School choice will bankrupt the already underfunded government schools
    • Myth #8: School choice does not improve education
    • Myth #9: School choice is just a tax break for the rich
    • Myth #10: School choice is unnecessary-government education is doing well and improving
    • Myth #11: School choice is just an anti-teacher ploy
    • Myth #12: School choice reforms do not address the needs of some families for transportation or special education
    • Myth #13: Private schools will not be able to accommodate the influx of new students under a school choice plan
• Conclusion
• Appendices
  • Appendix A: Glossary
  • Appendix B: Sample Letter-to-the-Editor
  • Appendix C: Michigan Newspaper E-Mail Addresses
  • Appendix D: School Choice Resources
• End Notes
• Acknowledgements and About the Author