Module IV Part IV
In part four of School The Story of American Public Education , edited by Sarah Mondale and Sarah B. Patton, the complex issue of school choice is examined. School choice policies, which include options like charter schools, vouchers, and magnet schools, aim to give parents more freedom in selecting educational institutions that best meet their children’s needs. However, this freedom comes with concerns about the broader implications for public education. School choice argues that parents have options, they will select schools that provide higher-quality education, thereby pushing underperforming schools to either improve or face closure. Additionally, parents see school choice as a means to break the geographic ties that limit students to their neighborhood schools, often resulting in low-income and minority students being stuck in underfunded, low-performing schools. By allowing these students access to be...