Abstract: School choice is growing around the country, due to the growth of charter schools, as well as private voucher programs and the No Child Left Behind requirements that school districts offer options to children in chronically poor performing schools. The author sees choice not as a magic bullet, but a context that rewards intelligent problem solving. The author discusses recent research on choice that shows that design and implementation must be done right to benefit disadvantaged children. Critical issues are the quality of parent information, the amounts of money that follow children to schools of choice, and the rules governing school admissions. He encourages the research community to conduct research on how families choose schools; closely study the actual costs of private and parochial schools that have proven effective in educating poor children; and, analyze state laws to find ways of allocating funds on a follow-the-child basis.
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