2011 ABCs of School Choice

2011 ABCs of School Choice, published by The Foundation for Educational Choice, is a resource for the latest on school choice developments across the country. 

January 2011

Much has been made of the changes 2011 will bring in government in the United States—from local communities to state capitols to the halls of Congress. It is undeniable that Americans have had enough of the waste, inefficiency, and lack of accountability on display in Washington and in all 50 states. 

But the fundamental ideas that many in our nation have embraced with renewed zeal are not really new at all. The principles of human freedom, limited government, responsible spending, and the power for individuals and families to make their own choices were articulated passionately half a century ago by Milton Friedman.

Those same principles have been championed by advocates of school choice for decades. Their hard work is paying off across the country, as legislators respond to calls for choice and the enactment of new voucher, tax-credit scholarship, and educational tax credit programs.

No single, one-size-fits-all approach to education can meet the unique needs of the country’s diverse students, families, and communities. People deserve options and the right to choose what’s best for them and their children. That diversity of options can be overwhelming. And the rate at which government leaders from coast to coast are finally taking action to provide more choices can make it difficult to keep up.
That’s where our annual publication, The ABCs of School Choice, comes in. It provides all the basic information you need to grasp the state of school choice in the U.S., as well as specific details to update you on every school choice program across the country.
The gains of recent years are heartening. Because families’ options are increasing, more kids are receiving the motivating, challenging, effective education they deserve. We have come a long way—but there is still much to be done. The opponents of choice will only increase their efforts to maintain the status quo. That’s why we are committed to continuing to provide you with up-to-date, accurate information about successful school choice programs throughout the country.
We at the Foundation for Educational Choice hope you find this guide to be an essential aid as you continue working to give parents the choices they desire—and the education their children deserve.